Abstract
The suitability of paper-based arrays for biofilm formation studies by Staphylococcus aureus is demonstrated. Laboratory-coated papers with different physicochemical properties were used as substrates. The array platform was fabricated by patterning the coated papers with vinyl-substituted polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) -based ink. The affinity of bacteria onto the flexographically printed hydrophobic and smooth PDMS film was very low whereas bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation occurred preferentially on the unprinted areas, i.e. in the reaction arrays. The concentration of the attached bacteria was quantified by determining the viable colony forming unit (CFU/cm2) numbers. The distribution and the extent of surface coverage of the biofilms were determined by atomic force microscopy. In static conditions, the highest bacterial concentration and most highly organized biofilms were observed on substrates with high polarity. On a rough paper surface with low polarity, the biofilm formation was most hindered. Biofilms were effectively removed from a polar substrate upon exposure to (+)-dehydroabietic acid, an anti-biofilm compound.
Highlights
Bacteria can switch between two different life styles: single cells floating in a liquid medium and sessile cells
Biofilms are surface-attached bacterial life forms which can be described as wellorganized communities of cells that are surrounded by a self-produced layer of an extracellular polymeric substance (EPS)
Roughness and topography Previous studies have shown that initial bacterial attachment is directly dependent on the surface roughness of the substrate as increasing roughness usually leads to an increase in surface area accessible to bacteria (Kawai et al 2000; Carlén et al 2001)
Summary
Bacteria can switch between two different life styles: single cells floating in a liquid medium (planktonic mode) and sessile cells (biofilm mode). Biofilms cause serious threat to human health. They are responsible for a significant number of chronic antibiotic-resistant infections (Donlan and Costerton 2002). Their chemoresistance has been attributed to various factors. One mechanism is related to the presence of the EPS, which acts as a protective barrier against biocides and toxins and it sequesters nutrients from the environment, being an essential part of the strategy of bacteria for persistence under extreme, unfavourable conditions (McDougald et al 2011). Other mechanisms include slower growth rate and the presence of resistant subpopulations (persister cells) (Proctor et al 1994; Fux et al 2005; Anderson and O’Toole 2008). It has been shown that biofilms are more tolerant to environmental
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