{"id":173859,"date":"2026-07-06T11:03:33","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T17:03:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/?post_type=sciencecommunication&#038;p=173859"},"modified":"2026-07-07T11:30:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T17:30:44","slug":"biofilms-on-medical-devices","status":"publish","type":"sciencecommunication","link":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/science-communication\/biofilms-on-medical-devices\/","title":{"rendered":"Biofilms on Medical Devices: The Hidden Challenge Facing Hospitals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>By<\/strong>\u00a0Valeria Atehort\u00faa, Daniela Mendoza, Ximena Palacios, Rub\u00e9n \u00c1vila, Sarah Arcipreste, Jes\u00fas Al\u00ed Montes and Natalia Rivera<\/em>\u00a0<em>\/\u00a0<strong>Ciencia Amateur<\/strong><\/em>.<br><em>Contributing author\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/research.tec.mx\/vivo-tec\/display\/PID_289299\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em><strong>Jorge Membrillo<\/strong><\/em><strong><em>\u00a0Hern\u00e1ndez<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every year, thousands of patients in Mexico are admitted to hospitals for treatment, only to develop infections unrelated to the condition that brought them there. Known as <strong>healthcare-associated infections (HAIs)<\/strong>, these infections remain a major public health challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In <strong>2024 alone<\/strong>, nearly <strong>13,000 HAIs<\/strong> were reported in <strong>Mexico City<\/strong>, with an estimated <strong>29% mortality rate<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the leading drivers of these infections is the growth of bacterial communities on the surfaces of medical devices such as catheters, urinary tubes, and implants. These communities\u2014known as <strong>biofilms<\/strong>\u2014have drawn increasing attention, particularly after reports during the COVID-19 pandemic showed that many hospitalized patients with COVID-19 or atypical pneumonia also developed biofilm-associated infections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are biofilms, and how do they form?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since the days of pioneering microbiologists such as <strong>Louis Pasteur<\/strong> and <strong>Robert Koch<\/strong>, microbiology has largely portrayed bacteria as free-floating organisms growing in flasks, liquid cultures, or Petri dishes under carefully controlled laboratory conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Outside the lab, however, bacteria rarely live alone. In nature, they typically attach to surfaces or exist within liquid environments. They inhabit the human body\u2014from the skin and nails to internal organs and the gut microbiome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the past three decades, researchers have uncovered the remarkably social behavior of bacteria. Rather than existing as isolated cells, many species organize into <strong>biofilms<\/strong>\u2014highly structured microbial communities encased in a self-produced protective matrix that shields them from environmental threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><picture>\r\n                <source srcset=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-1-1-1024x574.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\">\r\n                <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"574\" src=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-1-1-1024x574.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-173872\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-1-1-1024x574.png 1024w, https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-1-1-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-1-1-768x430.png 768w, https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-1-1.png 1194w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\r\n            <\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This protective matrix not only gives biofilms their structural integrity but also shields them from external threats, including antibiotics and a patient&#8217;s immune system. The formation of these microbial communities is regulated by cell-to-cell communication mechanisms such as <strong>quorum sensing<\/strong>, which enables bacteria to coordinate their collective behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If bacteria can dramatically increase their resistance to antibiotics, what happens when disease-causing microbes colonize the surfaces of medical devices used in hospitalized patients? Over the past decade, researchers have shown that biofilms forming on biomedical surfaces can lead to persistent infections that are difficult to eradicate\u2014and, in severe cases, can become life-threatening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Researchers still do not fully understand how the physicochemical properties of medical-grade materials influence biofilm formation over time. Manufacturers continue to develop new polymers designed for hospital use while reducing bacterial attachment, yet many questions remain about how bacteria interact with the surfaces of medical devices throughout their life cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The challenge for medical devices<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When bacterial communities attach to catheters, heart valves, pacemakers, and other implanted devices, they can trigger persistent infections that are notoriously difficult to treat. Their protective structure makes them highly resistant to antibiotics while allowing them to evade the body&#8217;s immune defenses, increasing the risk of serious complications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Materials science has become a critical part of addressing this problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Medical-grade polymers such as <strong>polyamide 12 (PA12)<\/strong> are widely used to manufacture catheters, while <strong>polyetheretherketone (PEEK)<\/strong>, a high-performance semicrystalline thermoplastic, is used not only in medical devices but also in aerospace and automotive applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At <strong>Tec de Monterrey<\/strong>, researchers are using PEEK and PA12 beads to develop a reproducible protocol for measuring biofilm growth over time and determining how the surface properties of these polymers affect bacterial attachment and biofilm development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The team cultured bacteria in PVC microplates containing beads made from each polymer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their results showed that both <strong>Escherichia coli<\/strong> and <strong>Pseudomonas aeruginosa<\/strong> readily formed biofilms on both materials, although their growth patterns differed significantly. <strong>E. coli<\/strong> reached peak biofilm formation after <strong>12 hours on PA12<\/strong> but required <strong>24 hours on PEEK<\/strong>. <strong>P. aeruginosa<\/strong>, meanwhile, produced less biofilm on PA12 and reached its maximum growth after <strong>24 hours on PEEK<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><picture>\r\n                <source srcset=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-2-1024x508.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\">\r\n                <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"508\" src=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-2-1024x508.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-173873\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-2-1024x508.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-2-300x149.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-2-768x381.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-2.jpg 1093w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\r\n            <\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Overall, PEEK consistently promoted greater biofilm formation than PA12, suggesting that its surface properties provide a more favorable environment for bacterial attachment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><picture>\r\n                <source srcset=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-3-1024x492.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\">\r\n                <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"492\" src=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-3-1024x492.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-173874\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-3-1024x492.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-3-300x144.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-3-768x369.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-3.jpg 1424w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\r\n            <\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>These findings are especially relevant given that millions of intravascular catheters are used worldwide each year, and even a small proportion becoming colonized can result in bloodstream infections. Such infections are closely linked to the ability of bacteria to adhere to device surfaces and develop biofilms, dramatically increasing their resistance to treatment.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><picture>\r\n                <source srcset=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-4-1024x667.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\">\r\n                <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"667\" src=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-4-1024x667.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-173875\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-4-1024x667.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-4-300x195.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-4-768x500.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-4.jpg 1249w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\r\n            <\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The researchers also evaluated commercial catheter materials. In most cases, biofilm biomass increased rapidly during the first <strong>24 hours<\/strong>, except for <strong>E. coli<\/strong> growing on PA12, which peaked after <strong>12 hours<\/strong>. Biofilm levels then declined, likely because of nutrient depletion, bacterial dispersal, or cell death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The results indicate that biofilms reach maturity early in their development and identify the <strong>first 12 hours<\/strong> as the critical window during which bacterial colonization becomes established.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><picture>\r\n                <source srcset=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-5-1024x838.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\">\r\n                <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"838\" src=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-5-1024x838.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-173876\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-5-1024x838.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-5-300x246.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-5-768x629.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/Fig-5.jpg 1120w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\r\n            <\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Toward safer biomaterials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The study highlights the importance of preventing bacterial attachment during the earliest stages of colonization and shows that material selection can strongly influence biofilm formation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Researchers demonstrated that <strong>Pseudomonas aeruginosa<\/strong> and <strong>Escherichia coli<\/strong>\u2014two of the pathogens most frequently linked to hospital-acquired infections\u2014can readily grow on medical-grade polymers such as PEEK and PA12. They also found that PEEK is more susceptible to biofilm accumulation than PA12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A better understanding of how bacteria interact with biomaterials could help engineers develop medical devices that are more resistant to bacterial colonization, ultimately reducing hospital-acquired infections and improving patient outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7e4ac651328708ea719ac0894fa30934 wp-block-paragraph\">.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">References<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mej\u00eda-Manzano, L. A., V\u00e1zquez-Villegas, P., Prado-Cervantes, L. V., Franco-G\u00f3mez, K. X., Carbajal-Oca\u00f1a, S., Sotelo-Cort\u00e9s, D. L., Atehort\u00faa-Ben\u00edtez, V., Delgado-Rodr\u00edguez, M., &amp;\u00a0<strong>Membrillo-Hern\u00e1ndez, J<\/strong>.<em>\u00a0(2023).\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/37514410\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Advances in material modification with smart functional polymers for combating biofilms in biomedical applications<\/a>. Polymers, 15(14), 3021.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>VESTAMID\u00ae L \u2013 polyamide 12 \u2013 Evonik Industries<\/em>. (2024, May 24).\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vestamid.com\/en\/products-services\/VESTAMID-L\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.vestamid.com\/en\/products-services\/VESTAMID-L<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>ALBIS \u2013 VESTAKEEP\u00ae PEEK<\/em>. (n.d.).\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.albis.com\/en\/products\/products-brands\/evonik\/vestakeep?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.albis.com\/en\/products\/products-brands\/evonik\/vestakeep?utm_source=chatgpt.com<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>S. Carbajal-Oca\u00f1a et al.,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2673-947X\/5\/3\/32\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u00abIn Vitro Biofilm Formation Kinetics of\u00a0<em>Pseudomonas aeruginosa\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0<em>Escherichia coli<\/em>\u00a0on Medical-Grade Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK) and Polyamide 12 (PA12) Polymers,\u00bb<\/a>\u00a0Hygiene, vol. 5, p. 32, ago. 2025<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Authors<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Valeria Atehort\u00faa-Ben\u00edtez and Daniela Mendoza Lozano, <\/strong>Biomedical Engineering students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Ximena Citlali Palacios-Cota, Rub\u00e9n \u00c1vila-Garnica, Sarah Arcipreste-Garc\u00eda,<\/strong> and <strong>Jes\u00fas Al\u00ed Montes-Z\u00fa\u00f1iga<\/strong>, Biotechnology Engineering students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Natalia Rivera-Melo<\/strong>, Bachelor\u2019s degree student in Biosciences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>This article was reviewed by Jorge Membrillo Hern\u00e1ndez, research professor at Tecnol\u00f3gico de Monterrey, Mexico City campus, and member of the Institute for the Future of Education.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Researchers examined how two medical-grade polymers affect bacterial biofilm formation, providing insights that could lead to safer medical devices.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":173869,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[93],"tags":[224,138],"class_list":["post-173859","sciencecommunication","type-sciencecommunication","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-biotechnology","tag-health","tag-school-of-medicine-and-health-sciences"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v21.0 (Yoast SEO v27.6) - 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