Bacterial adhesion is an essential step in biofilm formation and subsequent infection.
This dessertation reports an experimental study of the specific adhesion of S. epeidermidis cells to fibronectin-coated substrata under uniform shear flow. The effects of ligand density on specific adhesion as well as the binding affinities between bacterial cells and different portions of the ligands were studied. The amount of FN molecule bound on the substratum was verified by radiolabeling. Results revealed that exposed NH 2 groups exposed to bacterial cells led to increased rates and extent of bacterial adhesion. Computer simulations of specific adhesion were carried out by introducing the actual laboratory conditions and experimental parameters into the model to interpret the results.