Development of phage-polymer-based materials for antifouling applications: efficacy against marine Pseudomonas biofilms

Abstract

Marine Pseudomonas strains cause significant problems on various surfaces, including maritime cooling water systems, under water pipelines, and data buoys. In this study, Pseudomonas phages (ϕBW1.1, ϕBW1.2, and ϕBW2.1) were isolated from brackish water and characterized using negative staining under HRSTEM. They belong to the Siphoviridae (ϕBW1.1), Podoviridae (ϕBW1.2), and Myoviridae (ϕBW2.1) families. Phage stability was evaluated under various pH, salinity, and temperature conditions. All three phages have the ability to infect hosts and form plaques in different parameters. Phages ϕBW1.1 and ϕBW2.1 were processed for incorporation with PDMS (PI-PDMS) based on their antibiofilm ability. The PI-PDMS surfaces showed 67% weight loss in TGA and no function group alterations in infrared spectroscopy. PDMS, a hydrophobic polymer, showed slight changes in surface energy and hydrophobicity upon phage incorporation. The antibiofilm efficacy of PI-PDMS was assessed using various methods, including phenol-sulfuric acid assays, fluorescence dyes targeting different extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) components (cells, polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, and eDNA), and ATP bioluminescence for biofilm samples. These findings demonstrate the development of innovative antifouling approaches in the marine environments using phage-polymer-based materials.