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Biofilm-Forming Ability of Infectious Organisms on Biomimetic SurfacesAn In Vitro and Machine-Learning Analysis
Geetha Venkatachalam1, Nandakumar Venkatesan2, Shloak Vatsal3
1Ecogreen Innovations Pvt Ltd, Nirmaan, The Pre-Incubator, Sudha Shankar Innovation Hub, IIT Madras, Chennai 600036, India.
ACS Omega
|September 15, 2025
Summary
Biomimetic hydrophobic surfaces inspired by lotus and peepal leaves effectively reduce opportunistic pathogen biofilm formation. These surfaces offer promising strategies for preventing infections on medical implants.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Microbiology
- Surface Chemistry
Background:
- Opportunistic pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa readily form biofilms on surfaces.
- Biofilm formation contributes to device-associated infections and poses challenges in healthcare settings.
- Lotus and peepal leaves exhibit unique surface properties that confer anti-adhesion characteristics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the biofilm-forming capabilities of various opportunistic pathogens on biomimetic hydrophobic surfaces.
- To assess the influence of surface topology and hydrophobicity on bacterial adhesion and biofilm development.
- To evaluate the potential of leaf-inspired surfaces for reducing biofilm formation on medical implants.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of biomimetic surfaces using polylactic acid via solvent casting, mimicking lotus and peepal leaf topographies.
- Characterization of surface hydrophobicity using water contact-angle measurements.
- Assessment of biofilm formation by opportunistic pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus spp., Streptococcus mutans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa).
- Application of machine learning models (Multilayer Perceptron, J48) to analyze relationships between surface properties and biofilm formation.
Main Results:
- Biofilm formation was significantly influenced by polymer surface type (p < 0.005) and bacterial surface hydrophobicity (p < 0.0001).
- A Multilayer Perceptron model achieved 85% accuracy in predicting biofilm formation.
- J48 model indicated that bacteria with >57% surface hydrophobicity exhibited higher biofilm-forming ability.
- Polymers with low surface roughness (< 0.46) demonstrated reduced biofilm formation.
Conclusions:
- Biomimetic hydrophobic surfaces inspired by natural leaves can significantly inhibit biofilm formation by opportunistic pathogens.
- Surface roughness and hydrophobicity are critical factors in controlling bacterial adhesion and biofilm development.
- These findings suggest the potential application of such biomimetic surfaces in developing anti-biofouling medical implants.
