Integration of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and microfluidics for investigating microbially influenced corrosion using co-culture biofilms
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2016 by NACE International. Microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) is a major problem in various sectors including chemical process plants, on-shore and off-shore oil and gas, pipelines, marine and aviation industries resulting in annual losses just in the United States of several billions of dollars. MIC often develops as a result of biofilm formation by multiple microbial species that form well-defined and organized structures. Development of effective mitigation strategies for MIC requires a fundamental understanding of how biofilms are formed. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors underlying formation and development of dual-culture biofilms. Using Vibrio natriegens as the model biofilm forming species and Shewanella oneidensis as the model iron reducing bacterium, we investigated the dynamics of biofilm formation using a microfluidic flow cell. The experimental system consisted of a flow channel in a microfluidic device made of polydimethylsiloxane that is bonded to a glass slide with coated metal electrodes. The effect of hydrodynamic factors like flow rate was investigated on single species biofilms in this system. Later, co-culture biofilms of V. natriegens and S. oneidensis developed in this system were used to measure biomass in the biofilm by confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) and impedance from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). These parameters measured were analyzed along with SEM images of the metal electrodes to give an understanding of the extent of MIC from a biofilm perspective.
