- Title
- Understanding the Fundamental Basis for Biofilm Formation on Plastic Surfaces: Role of Conditioning Films
- Creator
- Bhagwat, Geetika; O'Connor, Wayne; Grainge, Ian; Palanisami, Thava
- Relation
- Frontiers in Microbiology Vol. 12, Issue 25 June 2021, no. 687118
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.687118
- Publisher
- Frontiers Research Foundation
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2021
- Description
- Conditioning films (CFs) are surface coatings formed by the adsorption of biomolecules from the surrounding environment that can modify the material-specific surface properties and precedes the attachment of microorganisms. Hence, CFs are a biologically relevant identity that could govern the behavior and fate of microplastics in the aquatic environment. In the present study, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polylactic acid (PLA) plastic cards were immersed in natural seawater to allow the formation of CFs. The changes in the surface roughness after 24 h were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the surface changes were visualized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The global elemental composition of the conditioned surface was investigated by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Results indicated that marine conditioning of PET and PLA samples for 24 h resulted in an increase of ~11 and 31% in the average surface roughness, respectively. SEM images revealed the attachment of coccoid-shaped bacterial cells on the conditioned surfaces, and the accumulation of salts of sodium and phosphate-containing precipitates was revealed through the EDS analysis. The results indicate that the increase in surface roughness due to conditioning is linked to a material's hydrophilicity leading to a rapid attachment of bacteria on the surfaces. Further investigations into the CFs can unfold crucial knowledge surrounding the plastic-microbe interaction that has implications for medical, industrial, and environmental research.
- Subject
- conditioning films; microbial attachment; plastic; biofilms formation; atomic force microscope; SDG 14; Sustainable Development Goals
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1450459
- Identifier
- uon:43934
- Identifier
- ISSN:1664-302X
- Rights
- © 2021 Bhagwat, O’Connor, Grainge and Palanisami. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
- Language
- eng
- Full Text
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Goal 14: Life Below Water
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