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Deconvoluting The Effects Of Surface Chemistry And Nanoscale Topography: Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Biofilm Nucleation On Si-Based Substrates, Zhang Zhang, Jingling Huang, Carmen Say, Robert L. Dorit, Kate Queeney

Chemistry: Faculty Publications

Hypothesis

The nucleation of biofilms is known to be affected by both the chemistry and topography of the underlying substrate, particularly when topography includes nanoscale (nm) features. However, determining the role of topography vs. chemistry is complicated by concomitant variation in both as a result of typical surface modification techniques. Analyzing the behavior of biofilm-forming bacteria exposed to surfaces with systematic, independent variation of both topography and surface chemistry should allow differentiation of the two effects.

Experiments

Silicon surfaces with reproducible nanotopography were created by anisotropic etching in deoxygenated water. Surface chemistry was varied independently to create hydrophilic (OH- terminated) …