Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Non-Antibiotic Antimicrobial Polydopamine Surface Coating To Prevent Stable Biofilm Formation On Satellite Telemetry Tags Used In Cetacean Conservation Applications, Ariana Smies, Jeremy Wales, Maureen Hennenfent, Laura Lyons, Caleigh R. Dunn, Jooke Robbins, Bruce Lee, Alexandre Zerbini, Rupak Rajachar

Michigan Tech Publications

Satellite telemetry tags, used to monitor the migratory behavior of cetaceans, have the potential to be a vehicle for infection due to their invasive nature. Antibiotic coatings have been previously employed to reduce the chances of infection via the formation of a stable biofilm on the surface of the tags. However, increased use of antibiotics has the potential to lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. To prevent the formation of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, a polydopamine surface coating that, when exposed to oxygen, releases low doses ( ~ 40-100 µ M ) of hydrogen peroxide over a prolonged period ( > 24 …