Logo image
Bacterial Attachment and Viscoelasticity: Physicochemical and Motility Effects Analyzed Using Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation (QCM-D)
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Bacterial Attachment and Viscoelasticity: Physicochemical and Motility Effects Analyzed Using Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation (QCM-D)

Jenia Gutman, Sharon L. Walker, Viatcheslav Freger and Moshe Herzberg
Environmental science & technology, v 47(1), pp 398-404
02 Jan 2013
PMID: 23186151

Abstract

Engineering Engineering, Environmental Environmental Sciences Environmental Sciences & Ecology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Science & Technology Technology
This investigation is focused on the combined effect of bacterial physicochemical characteristics and motility on cell adhesion and deposition using a flow-through quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D). Three model flagellated strains with different degrees of motility were selected, including a highly motile Escherichia coli K12 MG1655, an environmental strain Sphingomonas wittichii RW1, and a nonmotile (with paralyzed flagella) Escherichia coli K12 MG1655 Delta motA that is incapable of encoding the motor torque generator for flagellar movement. Of the three strains, S. wittichii RW1 is highly hydrophobic, while E. coli strains are equally hydrophilic. Consideration of the hydrophobicity provides an alternative explanation for the bacterial adhesion behavior. QCM-D results show that motility is a critical factor in determining bacterial adhesion, as long as the aquatic chemical conditions are conducive for motility and the substratum and bacterial surface are similarly hydrophobic or hydrophilic. Once their properties are not similar, the contribution of hydrophobic interactions becomes more pronounced. QCM-D results suggest that during adhesion of the hydrophobic bacterium, S. wittichii RW1, the initial step of adhesion and maturation of bacteria substratum interaction on hydrophilic surface includes a dynamic change of the viscoelastic properties of the bond bacterium-surface becoming more viscously oriented.

Metrics

3 Record Views
116 citations in Scopus

Details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

InCites Highlights

Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:

Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Engineering, Environmental
Environmental Sciences
Logo image