2011 Postgraduate Research Competition - UNSW Science - The ...

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Novel Antifouling Approach: Micro-Fabricated
Surfaces for the Control of Marine Microbial
Colonisation and Biofilm Formation
Gee Chong Ling and Staffan Kjelleberg
School of Biotechnology & Biomolecular Sciences
Abstract
An enhanced understanding of the processes that lead to rapid microbial biofilm formation
in marine waters will facilitate the development of antibiofilm control technologies. Here we
report on the effect of micro-fabricated polydimethy-siloxane (PDMS) surfaces, offering
different architectural features, on the community composition and structure of the biofilm
formed during 28 days of exposure in marine waters. First, the development of microbial
biofilm structures was observed using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and biofilm
biomass quantified using 3D-CLSM image analysis. Second, the community composition of
the attached microbial biofilm on these surfaces was studied using 16S-TRFLP. CLSM imaging
revealed a different biofilm formation pattern, with surface topography smaller than 4m
preventing microcolony formation and hence altering biofilm development without impact
on the biofilm biomass. 16S-TRFLP analysis of surface attached microbial communities
revealed a successional pattern over time with no significant difference among surfaces. We
conclude that the different micro- scale topographies used in this study impact on the
attachment and development of surface associated microbial communities without altering
the biomass or community composition during the time course of the experiment. Several
mechanisms are likely to regulate this outcome, possibly including topography-related
hydrodynamic forces and physical impediments on biofilm and microcolony development.
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