Novel Antibacterial Surfaces

The prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria poses a serious threat to human health, leading to increased and prolonged bacterial infections. While bacteria in the free-floating, planktonic state remain susceptible to traditional antibiotics, the vast majority of bacteria exist in the biofilm state, where many antimicrobial agents are less effective. The Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) is one particularly concerning bacterial strain due to its capacity to rapidly and efficiently form biofilms, as well as its inherent ability to develop resistance to antibiotics. The biofilm life cycle is considered to occur in five stages, with the first two steps consisting of reversible and irreversible attachment of planktonic bacteria onto a surface. Therefore, identifying a material with the inherent properties to ultimately repel or reduce the bacterial adhesion of harmful pathogens represents a promising direction for controlling biofilm formation.