Reduction of bacterial colonization on buckling-induced wrinkled surfaces under fluid shear

Microbial colonization and biofilm formation drive infection persistence and the spread of antimicrobial resistance, particularly under flow conditions typical of medical and natural environments. Here, we combine spontaneously buckled wrinkled topographies with microfluidic platforms to investigate the adhesion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus across shear rates of 0.4-200 s−1. Wrinkled surfaces with tunable wavelengths (0.5-20 μm) are fabricated and characterized using optical, atomic force, and scanning electron microscopy. Sinusoidal wrinkles with a 2 μm wavelength reduce bacterial colonization by over 70% when oriented perpendicular to flow, while folded wrinkles of 5 μm achieve more than 90% reduction across broader shear regimes and suppress biofilm formation by over 85% relative to flat controls. These topographies retain antifouling performance under pulsatile flow. This work demonstrates a scalable, chemical-free strategy for passive biofilm control through geometric surface design, enabling durable antimicrobial materials for biomedical and industrial applications. Microbial colonization and biofilm formation drive persistent infections on medical devices, often under fluid flow. Here, the authors engineer buckling-induced wrinkled and folded patterns with precisely defined geometries, integrate them into microfluidic channels, and show how wrinkling instabilities can be exploited to mitigate bacterial colonization under dynamic conditions.