LabAdviser/Technology Research/Fabrication of surfaces for the promotion of bacterial biofilms

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Fabrication of surfaces for the promotion of bacterial biofilms

  • Project type: PhD project
  • Project responsible: Ariadni Droumpali
  • Supervisors: Rafael Taboryski, Lone Gram
  • Partners involved: DTU Bioengineering
  • Thesis: link to the thesis in orbit

Project description

Bacterial biofilms can be, on the one hand, detrimental to both human life and industrial processes, e.g., causing infection, pathogen contamination while on the other hand, beneficial in environmental technologies and bioprocesses. Therefore, there are two opposite challenging goals for the bacterial biofilm formation: one is the prevention and inhibition of biofilms, e.g. in clinical settings, and the other is their enhancement and promotion. Understanding the physico-chemical and biochemical interactions between bacteria and abiotic surfaces can be the next step towards developing appropriate technologies and materials to facilitate the biofilm formation in industrial production or in natural environments. Despite an enormous improvement of fabrication of antimicrobial surfaces, there is a need for fabrication of materials where biofilm colonization of beneficial bacteria is promoted.

The idea of the present project is to fabricate different surfaces and to understand how a particular surface can facilitate the biofilm growth of marine (beneficial) bacteria.The focus of my project is on how the biofilm of Roseobacter species is facilitated in aquaculture units. The main focus of my project is to fabricate and develop a range of different polymer surfaces to facilitate microbial biofilm formation. Before starting fabricating polymer surfaces, it is essential to fabricate preliminary test surfaces in silicon wafers and follow with an optimized nickel stamp to use as a mold for the polymer surfaces. Changing the size and the space between micro and nanopillars can improve, reduce or inhibit the adhesion of bacteria. Relevant length scales for surface morphology and relevant surface energies are tested. The focus is to find the optimal surface morphology and topology as well as surface chemistry so I can optimize the bacterial cell–surface interaction.

Eventually, I will study how the production of bioactive molecules (probiotics) may inhibit bacterial colonization (for example antagonism against fish pathogens). Therefore a process for obtaining probiotic surface properties will be explored. Consequently, this PhD project will possibly lead to the fabrication of materials where biofilm colonization is enhanced for different industrial processes within natural environments and aquaculture.

Publications

Name of publication 1 made in this project

Reference and link to the publication

Name of publication2 made in this project

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Name of publication3 made in this project

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Fabrication: Process flows

This fabrication process flow is used for fabrication of preliminary surfaces.

Process flow (word format):

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