Parametric Study on Nanopattern Bactericidal Activity

The ever-lurking threat of bacterial contamination and infection has seen a recent resurgence in line with the increasing ubiquity of biochemical resistance. Accordingly, intense research focus has been placed on the discovery of alternative mechanisms of action for antibacterial property. Nanopatterned surfaces, which operate on a physical mechanism of action, are showing great promise in this regard. That being said, the role of individual parameters in nanopattern bactericidal activity remains unclear. In this work, we develop a two-dimensional finite element model to study the interaction of a Bacillus subtilis cell with a nanopatterned surface in ABAQUS/Standard. Using our model, we analyze the effect of key physical parameters associated with pillar geometry and bacteria-surface interaction. Our results indicate that the localized deformational stresses generated within the bacterial peptidoglycan are sufficient to bring about catastrophic rupture and subsequent death. Moreover, we demonstrate that the most effective strategies for enhancing bactericidal efficiency are reducing pillar diameter and increasing attractive interaction. These findings can be used to guide the optimization of fabricated nanopatterned surfaces.