Evaluation of SICON ® surfaces for biofouling mitigation in critical process areas

Moreira, Joana; Fulgêncio, Rita; Oliveira, Fernando; Machado, Idalina; Bialuch, Ingmar; Melo, L. F.; Simões, Manuel; Mergulhão, Filipe

doi:10.1016/j.fbp.2016.01.009

Cited by 8 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…A third alternative is to have a chemostat feeding a recirculation loop so that the feed flow to the chemostat equals the drain flow from the loop. In this case, it is possible to feed the flow cell with a constant concentration of cells and nutrients, while decoupling the flow rate going through the flow cell from the dilution rate [ 41 , 42 ]. With this flow cell configuration, it is possible to work at very high flow rates and attain high shear stresses that are comparable to those found in the environment and industry [ 43 ].…”

Section: Biofilm Platformsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In our group, a custom-made, semi-circular flow cell (identical to that shown in Figure 1 ) was designed to evaluate the performance of different surface coatings in preventing biofouling in the marine environment [ 22 ], food industry [ 24 , 41 ], and medical devices [ 49 , 50 ]. The hydrodynamics of this flow cell system was fully characterized by CFD [ 48 ], which allows not only the guarantee that all sampling coupons are exposed to the same shear forces but also provides knowledge of the flow rate and Reynolds number, which is necessary in order to operate this platform and simulate the shear stress and/or shear strain described for different real scenarios.…”

Section: Biofilm Platformsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When the aim was to study microbial adhesion in an industrial environment, biofilm researchers preferred to use flow chambers [ 97 , 98 ] or microplates [ 24 , 41 ], since they are faster to operate and may allow for direct inspection by microscopic techniques ( Table 5 ).…”

Section: Adhesion and Biofilm Studies Performed Under Controlled Hydrodynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Selection of Platforms to Evaluate Surface Adhesion and Biofilm Formation in Controlled Hydrodynamic Conditions

Gomes

Mergulhão

2021

Microorganisms

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The early colonization of surfaces and subsequent biofilm development have severe impacts in environmental, industrial, and biomedical settings since they entail high costs and health risks. To develop more effective biofilm control strategies, there is a need to obtain laboratory biofilms that resemble those found in natural or man-made settings. Since microbial adhesion and biofilm formation are strongly affected by hydrodynamics, the knowledge of flow characteristics in different marine, food processing, and medical device locations is essential. Once the hydrodynamic conditions are known, platforms for cell adhesion and biofilm formation should be selected and operated, in order to obtain reproducible biofilms that mimic those found in target scenarios. This review focuses on the most widely used platforms that enable the study of initial microbial adhesion and biofilm formation under controlled hydrodynamic conditions - modified Robbins devices, flow chambers, rotating biofilm devices, microplates, and microfluidic devices - and where numerical simulations have been used to define relevant flow characteristics, namely the shear stress and shear rate.

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Section: Biofilm Platformsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Biofilm Platformsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A Selection of Platforms to Evaluate Surface Adhesion and Biofilm Formation in Controlled Hydrodynamic Conditions

Gomes

Mergulhão

2021

Microorganisms

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“…Hydrodynamic conditions are crucial, since they may vary daily and seasonally from stagnation to high flow as demand varies [30], and these changes are reflected in the resultant biofilm. Furthermore, there are critical zones in piping or storage systems such as crevices, depressions, or dead-zones, which are difficult to clean due to limited access and where lower fluid velocities are found, making these places suitable for biofilm build-up [31]. According to the numerical simulations previously performed by the group [32], the flow rate chosen to operate the flow cell system in the present work (300 L/h) reproduces the hydrodynamics of these critical zones where shear stress values around 0.25 Pa can be attained [31,33].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Antimicrobial Ceramic Filters for Water Bio-Decontamination

et al. 2021

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Bio-contamination of water through biofouling, which involves the natural colonization of submerged surfaces by waterborne organisms, is a global socio-economic concern, allied to premature materials bio-corrosion and high human health risks. Most effective strategies release toxic and persistent disinfectant compounds into the aquatic medium, causing environmental problems and leading to more stringent legislation regarding their use. To minimize these side effects, a newly non-biocide-release coating strategy suitable for several polymeric matrices, namely polydimethylsiloxane and polyurethane (PU)-based coatings, was used to generate antimicrobial ceramic filters for water bio-decontamination. The best results, in terms of antimicrobial activity and biocide release, showed an expressed delay and a decrease of up to 66% in the population of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria on ceramic filters coated with polyurethane (PU)-based coatings containing grafted Econea biocide, and no evidence of biocide release after being submerged for 45 days in water. Biocidal PU-based surfaces were also less prone to Enterococcus faecalis biofilm formation under flow conditions with an average reduction of 60% after 48 h compared to a pristine PU-based surface. Biocidal coated filters show to be a potential eco-friendly alternative for minimizing the environmental risks associated with biofouling formation in water-based industrial systems.

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“…This is due to their high economic importance, whether they are regarded as beneficial, eg, in the context of bioremediation, 1,2 or as adverse, eg, by biofouling [3][4][5] or colmation of riverine sediments. 6 Most studies have focused on one of two fundamental perspectives: the impact of environmental conditions on the development and characteristics of biofilms, or "performance", eg, the rate of nutrient cycling or contaminant retention of the biofilm system.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of light intensity and shear stress on microbial biostabilization and the community composition of natural biofilms

Schmidt¹,

Thom²,

Wieprecht³

et al. 2018

RRB

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Abstract:Biofilms constitute an important issue in microbial ecology, due to their high ecological and economic relevance, but the impact of abiotic conditions and microbial key players on the development and functionality of a natural biofilm is still little understood. This study investigated the effects of light intensity (LI) and bed shear stress (BSS) and the role of dominant microbes during the formation of natural biofilms and particularly the process microbial biostabilization. A comprehensive analysis of microbial biomass, extracellular polymeric substances produced, and the identification of dominant bacterial and algal species was correlated with assessment of biofilm adhesiveness/stability. LI and BSS impacted the biofilms in very different ways: biofilm adhesiveness significantly increased with LI and decreased with BSS. Moreover, microbial biomass and the functional organization of the bacterial community increased with LI, while the dynamics in the bacterial community increased with BSS. Most stable biofilms were dominated by sessile diatoms like Achnanthidium minutissimum or Fragilaria pararumpens and bacteria with either filamentous morphology, such as Pseudanabaena biceps, or a potential high capacity for extracellular polymeric-substance production, such as Rubrivivax gelatinosus. In contrast, microbes with high motility, such as Nitzschia fonticola, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Caulobacter vibrioides, dominated the least adhesive biofilms. Their movement and potential antibiotic production could have had a disruptive impact on the biofilm matrix, which decreased its stability. This is the first study to unveil the link between abiotic conditions and resulting shifts in key microbial players to impact the ecosystem-service microbial biostabilization.

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Evaluation of SICON ® surfaces for biofouling mitigation in critical process areas

Cited by 8 publications

References 40 publications

A Selection of Platforms to Evaluate Surface Adhesion and Biofilm Formation in Controlled Hydrodynamic Conditions

A Selection of Platforms to Evaluate Surface Adhesion and Biofilm Formation in Controlled Hydrodynamic Conditions

Antimicrobial Ceramic Filters for Water Bio-Decontamination

The effect of light intensity and shear stress on microbial biostabilization and the community composition of natural biofilms

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