Engineering biofilm growth regimes in FDM-printed plastics through material selection

Engineering biofilm growth regimes in FDM-printed plastics through material selection Full article

Journal

Scientific Reports
ISSN: 2045-2322

Output data

Year: 2026, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-65837-2

Authors

Kurbanaliyeva Saniyat K. ^1,2 , Alekseeva Victoria A. ² , Provotorova Daria V. ^1,2 , Arlyapov Vyacheslav A. ¹ , Kozlov Konstantin S. ² , Boiko Daniil A. ² , Dzhemileva Lilya U. ² , Ananikov Valentine P. ^3,2

Affiliations

1	Research center “BioChemTech”, Tula State University, Lenin Pr., 92, Tula, 300012, Russia
2	Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 47 Leninsky Prospect, Moscow, 119991, Russia
3	Organic Chemistry Department, RUDN University, 6 Miklukho-Maklaya St., Moscow, 117198, Russia

Biofilm formation on 3D-printed surfaces presents either a challenge to mitigate or an opportunity to exploit. While medical and industrial applications require suppressing microbial colonization, biofilm-based biotechnologies rely on rapid, stable establishment. Here, we demonstrate that FDM-printed plastics define tunable regimes of early biofilm formation through material selection. Ten polymers and composites, including PLA+, ABS, PC+, and glass-fiber reinforced variants, were evaluated against six microbial strains. SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) and machine-learning-assisted image analysis revealed distinct colonization patterns, ranging from minimal attachment to matrix-rich coverage. PA, PC+, and ABS/PA-GF8 were highly biofilm-prone, while HIPS, PP, and TPU showed significantly lower susceptibility. Surface topography and glass-fiber reinforcement were identified as key drivers of these differences. These results establish a framework for engineering biofilm growth on FDM plastics, enabling precise material selection to either suppress or promote colonization. These findings provide design guidance for additive manufacturing in biofouling-sensitive and biofilm-enabled applications.

Kurbanaliyeva S.K. , Alekseeva V.A. , Provotorova D.V. , Arlyapov V.A. , Kozlov K.S. , Boiko D.A. , Dzhemileva L.U. , Ananikov V.P.
Engineering biofilm growth regimes in FDM-printed plastics through material selection
Scientific Reports. 2026. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-65837-2 OpenAlex

Submitted:	May 9, 2026
Published print:	Aug 29, 2026

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