The fouling of surfaces by microorganisms is a costly problem in many industries including manufacturing and infrastructure, shipping, and health care.A major stumbling block in the design of anti-fouling surfaces that reduce the adhesion of bacteria is the large parameter design space. Even within the narrower field of polymer-modified surfaces, several parameters including the charge of the substrate and the coating, the Debye length, the molecular weight of polymer, and solvent quality have important influence on mitigating bacterial adhesion onto soft surfaces. Moreover, studying the anti-fouling effectiveness of polymer-coated surfaces is extremely time-consuming and material intensive. To overcome these challenges, we have developed two microfluidic devices to greatly speed up conventional testing methods and allow for the rapid optimization of coating properties as well as observation of the earliest stages of biofilm growth in real time. The first device allows for the simultaneous deposition of polyelectrolyte coatings at different conditions pH and ionic strength conditions and subsequent characterization of the coatings in both the hydrated and dried state. We demonstrate the use of this device by studying the adhesion of chitosan on glass substrates.  The second device allows for the tracking and observation of early biofilm growth on anti-fouling surfaces. Unlike conventional techniques our device allows for the observation of biofilm growth on a single cell level without disrupting the growth. We demonstrate the use of this device in observing the growth of bacteria on glass and a model antifouling surface. <br/>

High(er) throughput screening for the design and testing of antifouling surfaces

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.