Resistant bacteria in the form of biofilm pose a serious threat. Bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa have the ability to aggregate forming a colony called a biofilm. Once formed, biofilms are difficult to remove as they provide protection against adverse environmental elements. Eventually, the biofilm becomes large and ruptures, releasing bacteria into the surrounding environment. This is the mechanism by which bacteria spread and infect new hosts. The goal is to develop electrospun nanofibers which have the capability of inhibiting bacteria from adhering to a surface, thus preventing biofilm formation. Using a polymer solution, nanofibers of varying size and composition have been fabricated. Initial experiments involved observation of the effects of hydrophobic and hydrophilic fibers, calcined and non-calcined fibers, and also fibers loaded with copper. The results of these experiments suggest that copper loaded nanofibers might inhibit biofilm formation. Calcined nanofibers also showed a decrease in colony forming units compared to the non-calcined fibers.

Characterization of biofilm formation on polymer nanofiber materials

247th National Meeting (2014)

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