Making Silicone Rubber Highly Resistant to Bacterial Attachment Using Thiol-ene Grafting.

ABSTRACT: Biomedical devices are indispensable in modern medicine yet offer surfaces that promote bacterial attachment and biofilm formation, resulting in acute and chronic healthcare-associated infections. We have developed a simple method to graft acrylates to silicone rubber, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a commonly used device material that is often colonized by bacteria. We demonstrate a novel method whereby nontoxic bacteria attachment-resistant polymers can be readily grafted from and grafted to the surface using thiol-ene chemistry, substantially reducing bacterial colonization. With use of this approach, bacterial biofilm coverage can be reduced by 99% compared with standard PDMS in an in vitro assay. This grafting approach offers significant advantages over commonly used physisorbed coating

SUBMITTER: Magennis EP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5138009 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature