The PG team participating in NoMorFilm lead by Michalis Vardavoulias, presented the poster titled Double biomimetic production of hybrid antibacterial nanospheres, carriers of antibiofilm agents, for medical implant coatings at the 11th CONFERENCE of the HELLENIC SOCIETY FOR BIOMATERIALS in Athens. 

 

Abstract: The application of titanium and stainless steel for bone implants is well established. However, the success rate of these surgical operations depends not only on the technical aspects of the procedure but also on the post-surgical infections; attributed mainly to biofilm formation on the metal surfaces. Biofilm is responsible for many chronic diseases and it is characterized by the complex, sessile communities of microbes formed either at the surface of the implants or observed at the extracellular matrix as aggregates. It is tolerant to harsh conditions and resistant to antibacterial treatments requiring high values of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC), leading inevitably to high toxicity levels. Hence, it is vital that a viable anti-biofilm method is applied in order to minimize the infection rates. The suggested method introduces the double biomimetic production of hybrid antibacterial nanospheres, carriers of antibiofilm agents, that inhibit biofilm formation. This novel technique enables the production of inorganic/organic/inorganic i.e. silica/ hyperbranched poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI)/silver nanocomposites which are then incorporated into stainless steel metallic surfaces treated by titanium particles via cold-spraying. Antibiofilm agents, are absorbed into the hyperbranched PEI cavities thus combining antibiofilm properties with the antibacterial activity of silver. The hybrid nanoparticles were characterized by spectroscopy (FTIR, visible), thermogravimetry (TG), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) X- ray diffraction, Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Their antibacterial activity is assessed towards Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus.  

Download the poster HERE