PREVENTION OF BIOFILM FORMATION BY POLYMER MODIFICATION

Bacterial biofilm formation on synthetic polymers plays an important r ole in industry and in modern medicine, leading, for example, to diffi cult-to-treat infections caused by colonized foreign bodies. Preventio n of biofilm formation is a necessary step in the successful prophylax is of such infections. One approach is to inhibit bacterial adherence by polymer surface modification. We have investigated polymer modifica tion by glow discharge treatment in order to study the influence of th e modified surface on bacterial adherence. Surface roughness, surface charge density and contact angles of the modified polymers were determ ined and related to the adherence of Staphylococcus epidermidis KH6. A lthough no influence of surface roughness and charge density on bacter ial adherence was noticed, a correlation between the free enthalpy of adhesion (estimated from contact angle measurements) and adherence was observed. There seems to exist a certain minimum bacterial adherence, independent of the nature of the polymer surface. Modified polymers w ith negative surface charge allow for bacterial adherence close to the adherence minimum. These polymers could be improved further by the io nic bonding of silver ions to the surface. Such antimicrobial polymers are able to prevent bacterial colonization, which is a prerequisite f or biofilm formation. It is suggested that modification of polymers an d subsequent surface coupling of antimicrobials might be an effective approach for the prevention of bacterial biofilm formation.