(135b) Invited Speaker: Thermal Mitigation of Biofilms

Destruction of biofilms under autoclave conditions (121 °C, ~1 hour) is well established but extraordinarily difficult to implement in vivo. Our laboratory investigates the thermal susceptibility of bacterial biofilms of common genera at sub-autoclave temperatures (50 – 80 °C) with various stationary phase population densities and architectures. Eventual elimination of the biofilm is correlated to a critical decrease in population density which is in turn correlated to the temperature and exposure time of the thermal shock. Further, antibiotic exposure works synergistically to eliminate biofilms at milder thermal shocks. Our laboratory also investigates approaches to delivery of these thermal shocks, such as magnetic nanoparticle / polymer coatings which can deliver these thermal shocks wirelessly from outside the body by applying an external alternating magnetic field. Design parameters for these coatings, as well as thermal modeling to minimize damage to adjacent tissue, will also be discussed.