Rapid laser-induced nanostructuring for yeast adhesion-reducing surfaces using beam shaping with SLM

Abstract

Controlling microbial adhesion in industrial and healthcare settings is crucial for maintaining hygiene and preventing biofilm formation. This work describes a novel method to efficiently produce yeast adhesion-reducing surfaces using dynamic beam-shaping with a spatial light modulator. At first, the laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) topography was tuned to test microbial adherence in a variety of LIPSS configurations, specifically using Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model organism. A novel and robust dual-pass laser strategy was implemented to create hierarchical LIPSS structures with periodicities of 630 nm and 5 μm. The integration of dynamic beam shaping with spatial light modulator (SLM) significantly enhanced production efficiency, achieving a throughput of up to 150 cm²/min. The laser-structured surfaces exhibited a significant reduction in yeast adhesion, with a decrease of 95% in adherent cells and achieving a maximum reduction of 99.88%. These findings offer promising implications for developing advanced surface treatments to improve hygiene in industries such as food processing and healthcare, where minimizing microbial colonization is vital.