Innovative Antibiofilm Smart Surface against <i>Legionella</i> for Water Systems
<i>Legionella pneumophila</i> contamination of water systems is a crucial issue for public health. The pathogen is able to persist in water as free-living planktonic bacteria or to grow within biofilms that adhere to and clog filters and pipes in a water system, reducing its lifespan and...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Microorganisms |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/10/5/870 |
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| author | Simona Filice Emanuele Luigi Sciuto Silvia Scalese Giuseppina Faro Sebania Libertino Domenico Corso Rosario Manuel Timpanaro Pasqualina Laganà Maria Anna Coniglio |
| author_facet | Simona Filice Emanuele Luigi Sciuto Silvia Scalese Giuseppina Faro Sebania Libertino Domenico Corso Rosario Manuel Timpanaro Pasqualina Laganà Maria Anna Coniglio |
| author_sort | Simona Filice |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Legionella pneumophila</i> contamination of water systems is a crucial issue for public health. The pathogen is able to persist in water as free-living planktonic bacteria or to grow within biofilms that adhere to and clog filters and pipes in a water system, reducing its lifespan and, in the case of hospital buildings, increasing the risk of nosocomial infections. The implementation of water management is considered to be the main prevention measure and can be achieved from the optimization of water system architecture, notably introducing new materials and strategies to contrast <i>Legionella</i> biofilm proliferation and so prolong the water system functionality. In this research, we propose a new smart surface against <i>L. pneumophila</i> biofilm formation. This is based on an innovative type of coating consisting of a sulfonated pentablock copolymer (s-PBC, commercially named Nexar™) deposited on top of a polypropylene (PP) coupon in a sandwich filter model. The covering of PP with s-PBC results in a more hydrophilic, acid, and negatively charged surface that induces microbial physiological inhibition thereby preventing adhesion and/or proliferation attempts of <i>L. pneumophila</i> prior to the biofilm formation. The antibiofilm property has been investigated by a Zone of Inhibition test and an in vitro biofilm formation analysis. Filtration tests have been performed as representative of possible applications for s-PBC coating. Results are reported and discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:22:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3389996e2b3f4e2cafea71cd737b65a5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:22:54Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj.art-3389996e2b3f4e2cafea71cd737b65a52023-11-23T12:14:13ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072022-04-0110587010.3390/microorganisms10050870Innovative Antibiofilm Smart Surface against <i>Legionella</i> for Water SystemsSimona Filice0Emanuele Luigi Sciuto1Silvia Scalese2Giuseppina Faro3Sebania Libertino4Domenico Corso5Rosario Manuel Timpanaro6Pasqualina Laganà7Maria Anna Coniglio8Istituto per la Microelettronica e Microsistemi-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR-IMM), Ottava Strada 5, 95121 Catania, ItalyAzienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico “G. Rodolico-San Marco”, Via S. Sofia 78, 95123 Catania, ItalyIstituto per la Microelettronica e Microsistemi-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR-IMM), Ottava Strada 5, 95121 Catania, ItalyAzienda Sanitaria Provinciale di Catania, Via S. Maria La Grande 5, 95124 Catania, ItalyIstituto per la Microelettronica e Microsistemi-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR-IMM), Ottava Strada 5, 95121 Catania, ItalyIstituto per la Microelettronica e Microsistemi-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR-IMM), Ottava Strada 5, 95121 Catania, ItalyAzienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico “G. Rodolico-San Marco”, Via S. Sofia 78, 95123 Catania, ItalyRegional Reference Laboratory of Clinical and Environmental Surveillance of Legionellosis, Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Torre Biologica 3p, AOU ‘G. Martino’, University of Messina, Via C. Valeria, S.N.C., 98125 Messina, ItalyIstituto per la Microelettronica e Microsistemi-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR-IMM), Ottava Strada 5, 95121 Catania, Italy<i>Legionella pneumophila</i> contamination of water systems is a crucial issue for public health. The pathogen is able to persist in water as free-living planktonic bacteria or to grow within biofilms that adhere to and clog filters and pipes in a water system, reducing its lifespan and, in the case of hospital buildings, increasing the risk of nosocomial infections. The implementation of water management is considered to be the main prevention measure and can be achieved from the optimization of water system architecture, notably introducing new materials and strategies to contrast <i>Legionella</i> biofilm proliferation and so prolong the water system functionality. In this research, we propose a new smart surface against <i>L. pneumophila</i> biofilm formation. This is based on an innovative type of coating consisting of a sulfonated pentablock copolymer (s-PBC, commercially named Nexar™) deposited on top of a polypropylene (PP) coupon in a sandwich filter model. The covering of PP with s-PBC results in a more hydrophilic, acid, and negatively charged surface that induces microbial physiological inhibition thereby preventing adhesion and/or proliferation attempts of <i>L. pneumophila</i> prior to the biofilm formation. The antibiofilm property has been investigated by a Zone of Inhibition test and an in vitro biofilm formation analysis. Filtration tests have been performed as representative of possible applications for s-PBC coating. Results are reported and discussed.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/10/5/870<i>Legionella pneumophila</i>water safety planbiofilmsmart coatingss-PBC |
| spellingShingle | Simona Filice Emanuele Luigi Sciuto Silvia Scalese Giuseppina Faro Sebania Libertino Domenico Corso Rosario Manuel Timpanaro Pasqualina Laganà Maria Anna Coniglio Innovative Antibiofilm Smart Surface against <i>Legionella</i> for Water Systems Microorganisms <i>Legionella pneumophila</i> water safety plan biofilm smart coatings s-PBC |
| title | Innovative Antibiofilm Smart Surface against <i>Legionella</i> for Water Systems |
| title_full | Innovative Antibiofilm Smart Surface against <i>Legionella</i> for Water Systems |
| title_fullStr | Innovative Antibiofilm Smart Surface against <i>Legionella</i> for Water Systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Innovative Antibiofilm Smart Surface against <i>Legionella</i> for Water Systems |
| title_short | Innovative Antibiofilm Smart Surface against <i>Legionella</i> for Water Systems |
| title_sort | innovative antibiofilm smart surface against i legionella i for water systems |
| topic | <i>Legionella pneumophila</i> water safety plan biofilm smart coatings s-PBC |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/10/5/870 |
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