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Mechanically stable anti-adhesive polymer surfaces through biomimetic patterning

2013-2016 (DFG)

In collaboration with Andrés F. Lasagni, Professor for Laser Structuring in Manufacturing Technology, Institute of Surface and Manufacturing Technology, Technische Universität Dresden.

Aim of the project:

The avoidance of bacterial colonization on surfaces is essential in medicine and biotechnology. Therefore, direct molding and the Laser Interference Patterning (LIP) technique are used to produce polymer surfaces with similar properties like the hard to wet, anti-adhesive and mechanically stable skin of collembola. Short and long term adhesion behavior of different bacteria on replica, fabricated by direct molding of the hierarchial topography, is investigated. Single structure features are copied and varied in size and geometry by usind LIP. Thus, the influence of the spatial micron and sub-micron period as well as the structure type on wetting and surface colonization with bacteria is characterized. Structures with and without overhanging profile, leading to strong wetting resistance, are compared to each other. The bacteria adhesion tests are conducted with and without the presence of medical relevant plasma and extra cellular proteins. Besides the surfaces are characterized by the protein adsorption and bacteria adhesion force. The idendification of the effectiveness of low bacteria adhesion on collembola skin would lead to an applicable transfer on medical surfaces.

Collembola and its skin surface (SEM image)
Collembola and its skin surface (SEM image)
Initial bacterial adhesion on non- patterned and sub-micron patterned surfaces
Initial bacterial adhesion on non- patterned and sub-micron patterned surfaces