Metrology of Biofilms in Extreme Environments

Description

The biology-materials interface is an essential area of research since it influences everything from tooth decay to biological corrosion of petrochemical pipelines. Allied to this, the specification of the surface of any engineering component is important as this is the interface with mating components and/or the external environment.
Whether it is the increasing complexity and use of implant technology catalysed by the advent of new manufacturing technologies such as additive manufacturing, and the consequent arms race to overcome infection, or indeed microbial induced corrosion in the oil and gas industries, there is a consequent demand for optimised and integrated characterization of the myriad aspects of the biofilm interface.
Work at Huddersfield has primarily focused on extreme environments exemplified by the presented case study outlining the role of biofilm activity in the deterioration of radioactive graphite and its disposal.
This case study combined visualisation techniques at different scales to build a full picture of the activity and growth of the biofilm in this case. The study utilised X-ray Computed Tomography to map porosity and extent of mineral deposits within the graphite material. Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy was then used to image the organic composition of the biofilm which was found to be limited to the surface with no penetration into the porous surface. The formed biofilm was low in porosity and was found to be consistent across pH levels 9.5-11.0 with no release of 14C.

Period	12 Sep 2018
Held at	6th annual Tomography for Scientific Advancement (ToScA) symposium
Event type	Conference
Location	Coventry, United Kingdom
Degree of Recognition	International