A hierarchical bio-mimetic surface engineering approach to prevent biofouling by microbial biofilms

一种分层仿生表面工程方法，用于防止微生物生物膜造成的生物污染

• 批准号: 435939-2013
• 负责人: Kumar, Aloke
• 金额: $ 2.04万
• 依托单位: University of Alberta
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2015-01-01 至 2016-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=574235
• 关键词: hierarchical; bio; mimetic; surface; engineering

Biofouling, or the colonization of surfaces by unwanted organisms, has detrimental effects on several important industrially relevant structures, such as ship hulls, heat exchangers, sensors and pipelines. Biofouling is almost ubiquitous and controlling it remains an extremely challenging problem. Amongst the various biofouling relevant organisms are microbes. Microbes have attributes that allow them to 'explore' and colonize abiotic surfaces in the form of thin films called biofilms. These biofilms can result in several undesirable situations, such as surface degradation and energy losses amongst other issues. In fact, fouling of ship hulls by micro-organisms can easily generate energy penalties of the order of 10-15%. Currently, the need to deliver eco-friendly solutions to this problem is causing renewed interest in approaches such as use of surface topographies, which can prevent or delay biofouling. In this context, biologically inspired designs or biomimetic designs are expected to be very promising. The proposed research program addresses the challenge of designing novel bio-fouling resistant surfaces by using an innovative hierarchical (multi-scale) bio-mimetic surface topography. Biological materials can be highly organized, at various length scales, in a hierarchical manner with intricate structures that often give rise to multi-functional capabilities. In particular this research program will seek to employ two concurrent topographic scales: (i) nano-scale surface topographies that will interfere with molecular level processes and make the process of microbial adhesion energetically unfavorable and (ii) larger scale topographies (length scale ~ 100 µm), which under conditions of fluid flow will lead to formation of secondary flows near the surfaces. Secondary flows, which can even form under laminar flow conditions, can affect mass transfer near surfaces, and they would act against the transport of microbes to the surface thereby reducing microbial access to the abiotic surface. These surface features have been chosen from the topographies that are often present on aquatic creatures and are believed to be integral to their ability to prevent adhesion of disease causing microbes.

生物污垢或有害生物在表面的定植会对一些重要的工业相关结构产生有害影响，例如船体、热交换器、传感器和管道。生物污垢几乎无处不在，控制它仍然是一个极具挑战性的问题。各种生物污垢相关生物体包括微生物。微生物具有允许它们以称为生物膜的薄膜形式“探索”和定殖非生物表面的属性。这些生物膜可能会导致一些不良情况，例如表面降解和能量损失等问题。事实上，微生物对船体的污染很容易造成 10-15% 数量级的能源损失。目前，针对这一问题提供环保解决方案的需求正在引起人们对使用表面形貌等方法重新产生兴趣，这些方法可以防止或延迟生物污垢。在这种背景下，受生物学启发的设计或仿生设计预计将非常有前途。拟议的研究计划通过使用创新的分层（多尺度）仿生表面形貌来解决设计新型生物防污表面的挑战。生物材料可以以不同的长度尺度、以分层的方式高度组织，具有复杂的结构，通常会产生多功能能力。 特别是，该研究计划将寻求采用两种同时存在的地形尺度：（i）纳米级表面地形，它将干扰分子水平过程并使微生物粘附过程在能量上不利；（ii）更大规模地形（长度尺度〜100微米），在流体流动条件下将导致在表面附近形成二次流。二次流甚至可以在层流条件下形成，可以影响表面附近的传质，并且它们会阻碍微生物向表面的运输，从而减少微生物进入非生物表面。这些表面特征是从水生生物通常存在的地形中选择的，并且被认为是它们防止致病微生物粘附的能力不可或缺的一部分。