Membranes of piezoceramic material may vibrate at ultrasonic frequencies to mitigate fouling by biofilms.  To facilitate investigation of acoustic biofilm removal, this study investigates effects of ultrasonic cleaning on structure and composition of biofilms grown on ceramic membranes. Membranes set in a crossflow regime were fouled using bioreactor fluids, followed by irradiation in an ultrasound bath. By halting cleaning mid-process, we are evaluating whether acoustic cavitation erodes specific structural and biomolecular components of biofilms. We characterized these changes using fluorescent lectins with confocal microscopy. Images and COMSTAT quantified changes in biofilm properties such as roughness, biomolecular components, and thickness. Furthermore, we tested images for characteristic defouling patterns of acoustic cavitation. Measures taken to ensure reproducibility of biofilms will be presented, as well as image analysis results. Our findings shed new light on biofilm removal by ultrasound, with implications to piezoceramic membrane design.<br/>

Alteration of membrane-adherent biofilm properties by acoustic cavitation

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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