About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
MS&T25: Materials Science & Technology
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| Symposium
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Processing and Performance of Materials Using Microwaves, Electric and Magnetic Fields, Ultrasound, Lasers, and Mechanical Work – Rustum Roy Symposium
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| Presentation Title |
Dual Effect of Burst-Type Alternating Electromagnetic Fields on Bacterial Proliferation and Biofilm Suppression at Low Cell Concentration |
| Author(s) |
Hidekazu Miura, Hideyuki Kanematsu, Risa Kawai, Takayoshi Nakano |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Hideyuki Kanematsu |
| Abstract Scope |
Biofilms are structured communities of bacteria enclosed in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), posing challenges in hygiene, corrosion, and medical contamination. This study builds on our previous work by examining the effects of alternating electromagnetic fields (EMFs) on biofilm formation at a standardized low bacterial concentration of 10³ cells/mL. We applied a burst-type EMF (10 kHz, 2 mT) in a controlled environment and observed an unexpected dual phenomenon: while bacterial cell counts increased, biofilm formation was significantly inhibited. The suppression of EPS development despite increased proliferation suggests a disturbance in quorum-sensing mechanisms or intracellular signaling pathways. These findings allow selectively inhibiting biofilms without bactericidal effects, which may be advantageous in industrial and biomedical applications. Further molecular analysis is ongoing to determine the pathways affected by burst EMF exposure. |