New paper - Natural Microbial Communities Can Be Manipulated by Artificially Constructed Biofilms / 21.10.2019

Dr. Tomaž Rijavec and doc. dr. Aleš Lapanje of the Department of Environmental Sciences (O2) have developed a special concept of surface treatment for the inhibition of biologically mediated corrosion.

Combating fouling and biologically mediated corrosion of surfaces is always based on the prevention of fouling of microorganisms with various antimicrobial coatings. Because microbes have a constant tendency to attach and because they are extremely common in the environment, such processes are not successful in the long run. Contrary to previous doctrine, the two collaborators of the Laboratory for Bioanalytics, dr. Tomaž Rijavec and doc. dr. Aleš Lapanje of the Department of Environmental Sciences (O2) developed a special concept of surface treatment in which they deliberately attached living microorganisms to the surface of the material, which directed the development of biofilms so that those causing biodegradable corrosion did not occur. In collaboration with colleagues from Vrije University Amsterdam and Chalmers University, they also analyzed the microbial association that formed on such a coating. The findings of this research were published in the journal Advanced Science, which can be found HERE.

Image: Preparation of artificial biofilms: In the process, two types of bacterial cells were used, having previously changed the potential on the surface (A). The living cells were arranged in layers (B) and covered with layers of natural polymers (C). Finally, we obtained a spatially arranged structure containing both types of microbes in separate spaces (D).