Researchers used simulations to examine the functions of blunt spiky surfaces on cicada wings. The results were surprising.
Understanding this natural process can help solve significant healthcare challenges. Medical devices like cathetersAllow microbial colonization BiofilmScientists are working to develop surfaces that will prevent bacteria from forming by providing an adhesive surface.
Researchers have studied the chemical characteristics and physical characteristics cicadas before. Dragonfly wingsIt is not clear how antibacterial products work, or even if they can remove the traces left by their bacteria victims.
The mechanism behind the ability of the cicada wings to prevent bacteria adhesion is not yet known. You can find out more about this by clicking here.Tadanori Koga, a chemical engineering student at Stony Brook University.
After reading 2012 ResearchKoga and Maya Endoh, a polymer physicist at Stony Brook University, decided to study and replicate the nanopillars of cicada wings.
We decided to use the cicada’s wing because it has a nice pillar-like structure. But we also wanted the structure to be optimized,” Koga You can find out more about this by clicking here..
The wing of a bird is a good example of how to mimic it. Amazing crittersMaterials scientist Daniel Salatto of Stony Brook University created tiny structures in the shape of pillars using a polymer commonly used for packaging.
“The Diblock PolymerEndoh You can find out more about this by clicking here.. “Even if we use the same polymer as cicada wings, we may have the bactericidal properties that they show.”
CicadaWings have nanopillars about 150 nanometers tall (nm), and they are spaced the same. However, the team has tested different dimensions to see if this affects the process.
We thought the height of the pillars would be crucial for the nanostructure, because at first we expected the pillars to act as a needle that punctures the membrane of the bacteria.” Explained.
In lab tests, the researchers found that super-small nanopillars measuring 10 nm high, 50 nm in width, and 70 microns apart were highly effective at killing bacteria. Escherichia coliIt is important to release bacteria for a minimum of 36 hours and not leave any dead bacteria or debris.
Salatto Explained.
It’s a problem that many biomedical materials have, because they don’t work well to remove debris without chemicals that are toxic.
The nanopillars are still a mystery to scientists. You can also find out more about the following:Removing surface bacteria on the wings
Jan-Michael Carrillo is a computational scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Tennessee) who has run high-resolution molecular dynamicsSimulating MD using a simplified MD model E. Coli bacteria.
MD simulations at large scales, consisting of approximately a hundred thousand particles, showed that when bacteria are in contact with a pillar’s surface their outer lipid membrane (membrane), has a strong interplay with the nanopillars.
Carrillo says that “the lipid heads absorb strongly onto the hydrophilic surfaces of the pillars, and conform the shape or curvature to the structure or curve of the pillars.” Explained.
The simulations suggest that membrane rupture occurs when the pillars generate sufficient tension within the lipid bilayer clamped at edges of pillars. Simulations indicate that membrane rupture can occur when the pillars create enough tension in the lipid bilayers clamped along the edges of the pillars.
The membrane is stressed even after it ruptures. Tension builds up until the bacteria separate from the pillars.
TiO) is added as a thin coating.2( ) on the pillars improved the bacteria-killing, releasing and antibacterial properties. Gram-positive bacteriaCall us today to learn more about our services. Listeria monocytogenes.
The’stretchy outer shell’ of Gram-positive bacteria is less flexible, and stress is concentrated more at the attachment points, which causes them to rupture. However, their cells did not appear to have enough attraction to the TiO pillars.2.
Scientists were surprised to find that nature’s design was not the most efficient way of achieving the best results.
Endoh You can find out more about this by clicking here.. “Even though they are small, the bacteria died automatically. We also found that the surface was not absorbing any liquid, which means it is self-cleaning.
This was thought to be caused by the insect shaking its wings off to remove the debris. Our methodology and structures prove that they kill and clean themselves.
The team intends to continue simulations in order to uncover additional mechanisms, namely the self-cleaning functionality, and ultimately improve antibacterial surfaces for use in medical field.
The research was published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
