Nano/microscale order affects bacterial swarming on metal surfaces

DÍAZ, C; SCHILARDI, P; SALVAREZZA, R; FERNÁNDEZ LORENZO, M

LANGMUIR

ACS Publications

Año: 2007 vol. 23 p. 11206 - 11210

0743-7463

ABSTRACT. The adhesion of Pseudomonas fluorescens was studied on nano/microengineered surfaces. Results show that these bacteria formed well defined aggregates on randomly oriented nanosized granular gold substrates. These aggregates consist of aligned assembles of bacteria, some of them strongly elongated. This kind of biological structure was not found on ordered engineered surfaces because bacterial alignment and cell-to-cell sticking were hindered. Importantly, differences in cell morphology, length, orientation and flagellation were observed between bacteria attached on the ordered nano/microstructures and the randomly ordered surfaces. The implications of the results are related to the design of engineered surfaces to enhance (nanostructured filters) or inhibit (medical implants, industrial biofouling) bacterial colonization of the surfaces and to the biocontrol of soil ecosystems.