Berlin 2012 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 17: Posters: Physics of Cells

BP 17.24: Poster

Wednesday, March 28, 2012, 17:30–19:30, Poster A

Static and dynamic adhesion of Staphylococci on model substrates, studied by AFM — •Nicolas Thewes, Christian Spengler, Peter Loskill, and Karin Jacobs — Saarland University, Experimental Physics, D-66041 Saarbrücken, Germany

Bacterial adhesion to surfaces is a complicated process that depends on many factors such as the type of bacterium, the type of surface, the composition of the material and the time of contact. To distinguish effects due to the different factors, the relevant parameters have to be varied independently. A set of tailored silicon wafers allows for this variation. Using AFM-force spectroscopy, we studied the adhesion of bacteria of the Staphylococcus genus to these model substrates. Measurements on wafers with different oxid layer thicknesses show that the subsurface composition of the material influences the adhesion forces. Responsible for this fact are the different van der Waals interactions between the bacteria with wafers with thin and thick oxide layer. Furthermore, a variation of the time of contact between bacteria and substrate reveals differences in the dynamics of the adhesion forces for different species, viz. different call wall compositions.