Multiscale insights into biofilm development on hydrophobic fouling-release coatings.

ABSTRACT: Marine biofilms develop under the combined influence of environmental conditions and substrate properties. Among antifouling strategies, fouling-release coatings (FRCs) aim to promote the detachment of microorganisms considering their surface characteristics, offering an opportunity to examine how unfavorable adhesion conditions shape microfouling processes. Hydrophobic interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) based on tetrafluoroethyl methacrylate (TFEMA) and a commercial PDMS-based FRC were immersed for 6 months in natural seawater (Banyuls-sur-Mer, NW Mediterranean Sea), followed by exposure to moderate hydrodynamic shear stress using a rotor device. Biofilms were analyzed through a multiscale and multiomics approach combining biomass assays, microscopy, metabarcoding, and metabolomics.

SUBMITTER: Ferre C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12920624 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature