ArticleACS applied materials & interfaces2015
Fewer Bacteria Adhere to Softer Hydrogels.
Article in ACS applied materials & interfaces, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 53 papers.
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Who cites it
53 citing papers in PubMed, 133 citations in OpenAlex.
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- A novel and validated 3D-printed method for the consistent and reproducible dry transfer of microorganisms for the determination of antimicrobial surface efficacy.Applied and environmental microbiology · 2025Article
- Ultrasound-assisted green synthesis of 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles using natural polymer supports.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Antifouling Activity of Bottlebrush Network Hydrogels.ACS applied bio materials · 2025Article
- Bacterial Adhesion on Soft Surfaces: The Dual Role of Substrate Stiffness and Bacterial Growth Stage.Microorganisms · 2025Article
- Polyphenol-Mediated Multifunctional Human-Machine Interface Hydrogel Electrodes in Bioelectronics.Small science · 2025Review
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- Microbe-cellulose hydrogels as a model system for particulate carbon degradation in soil aggregates.ISME communications · 2024Article
- A Hypothetical Approach to Concentrate Microorganisms from Human Urine Samples Using Paper-Based Adsorbents for Point-of-Care Molecular Assays.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Stiffness and Oligomer Content Affect the Initial Adhesion ofACS applied materials & interfaces · 2023Article
- Polyacrylamide-based hydrogel coatings improve biocompatibility of implanted pump devices.Journal of biomedical materials research. Part A · 2023Article
- Material Substrate Physical Properties Control Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Architecture.mBio · 2023Article
- Codelivery of synergistic antimicrobials with polyelectrolyte nanocomplexes to treat bacterial biofilms and lung infections.Science advances · 2023Article
- Effect of surface stiffness in initial adhesion of oral microorganisms under various environmental conditions.Colloids and surfaces. B, Biointerfaces · 2023Article
- Intra-colony channel morphology inBiofilm · 2022Article
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- Multifunctional Composite Hydrogels for Bacterial Capture, Growth/Elimination, and Sensing Applications.ACS applied materials & interfaces · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Clinically, biofilm-associated infections commonly form on intravascular catheters and other hydrogel surfaces. The overuse of antibiotics to treat these infections has led to the spread of antibiotic resistance and underscores the importance of developing alternative strategies that delay the onset of biofilm formation. Previously, it has been reported that during surface contact, bacteria can detect surfaces through subtle changes in the function of their motors. However, how the stiffness of a polymer hydrogel influences the initial attachment of bacteria is unknown. Systematically, we investigated poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) and agar hydrogels that were 20 times thicker than the cumulative size of bacterial cell appendages, as a function of Young's moduli. Soft (44.05-308.5 kPa), intermediate (1495-2877 kPa), and stiff (5152-6489 kPa) hydrogels were synthesized. Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus attachment onto the hydrogels was analyzed using confocal microscopy after 2 and 24 h incubation periods. Independent of hydrogel chemistry and incubation time, E. coli and S. aureus attachment correlated positively to increasing hydrogel stiffness. For example, after a 24 h incubation period, there were 52 and 82% fewer E. coli adhered to soft PEGDMA hydrogels than to the intermediate and stiff PEGDMA hydrogels, respectively. A 62 and 79% reduction in the area coverage by the Gram-positive microbe S. aureus occurred after 24 h incubation on the soft versus intermediate and stiff PEGDMA hydrogels. We suggest that hydrogel stiffness is an easily tunable variable that could potentially be used synergistically with traditional antimicrobial strategies to reduce early bacterial adhesion and therefore the occurrence of biofilm-associated infections.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.