Submission Date

7-19-2024

Document Type

Paper- Restricted to Campus Access

Department

Chemistry

Faculty Mentor

Mark Ellison

Comments

Presented during the 26th Annual Summer Fellows Symposium, July 19, 2024 at Ursinus College.

Project Description

Silicone-based materials, such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), are widely used in the construction of biomedical devices due to their biocompatibility and biostability. Despite these benefits, biofilms form readily on silicone surfaces, leading to antimicrobial-resistant hospital- or medical device- associated infections. We hope to reduce biofilm formation by generating a surface containing single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), which have been shown to inhibit bacterial growth. A SWNT-containing surface was generated on cured PDMS disks via spin coating or through mixing SWNTs into liquid PDMS prior to curing. Furthermore, the antibiotics clarithromycin and ciprofloxacin were incorporated into the coatings applied through spin coating to investigate how the presence of common antibiotics interact with the SWNT surface. Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis were then grown on these disks. Bacteria suspended above and stuck on each disk were measured to investigate the development of each biofilm. We expect that a SWNT surface will decrease biofilm formation on PDMS, potentially providing another avenue to stymie hospital-associated infections.

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