Bacteria Pattern Spontaneously on Periodic Nanostructure Arrays
From Soft-Matter
Entry by Emily Redston, AP 225, Fall 2011
Work in progress
Reference
Bacteria Pattern Spontaneously on Periodic Nanostructure Array by A. I. Hochbaum, J. Aizenberg. Nano Lett. 10, 3717-3721 (2010)
Introduction
Bacterial biofilms naturally form on many surfaces, usually at the solid-liquid or liquid-air interface. Biofilms are composed of many cells embedded within a polymeric organic matrix. While biofilm formation is a concern for many industries, they are especially harmful in the medical community, where they cause extensive damage by triggering the human immune response. Hospital-acquired, or nosocomial, infections affect roughly 10% of patients in the United States, and are responsible for nearly 100,000 deaths.