Modeling Biofilm Formation on Dynamically Reconfigurable Composite Surfaces

Abstract

We augment the dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulation method to model the salient features of biofilm formation. We simulate a cell as a particle containing hundreds of DPD beads and specify <i>p</i>, the probability of breaking the bond between the particle and surface or between the particles. At the early stages of film growth, we set <i>p</i> = 1, allowing all bonding interactions to be reversible. Once the bound clusters reach a critical size, we investigate scenarios where <i>p</i> = 0, so that incoming species form irreversible bonds, as well as cases where <i>p</i> lies in the range of 0.1–0.5. Using this approach, we examine the nascent biofilm development on a coating composed of a thermoresponsive gel and the embedded rigid posts. We impose a shear flow and characterize the growth rate and the morphology of the clusters on the surface at temperatures above and below <i>T</i>_c, the volume phase transition temperature of a gel that displays lower critical solubility temperature (LCST). At temperatures above <i>T</i>_c, the posts effectively inhibit the development of the nascent biofilm. For temperatures below <i>T</i>_c, the swelling of the gel plays the dominant role and prevents the formation of large clusters of cells. Both these antifouling mechanisms rely on physical phenomena and, hence, are advantageous over chemical methods, which can lead to unwanted, deleterious effects on the environment