Discipline: Ecology Environmental and Earth Sciences
Subcategory: Environmental Engineering
Session: 3
Room: Exhibit Hall
Anijha Baker - Fort Valley State University
Co-Author(s): Anijha Baker,1 Keith Bratley,1 Ezra Cable,1 Victoria V. Volkis1*
Since the 15th century, marines, and later interdisciplinary groups of scientists have been trying to solve one of the major economic and environmental problems – the accumulation of biofilm on submerged surfaces like ships, buoys, and platforms, also known as biofouling. Along with corrosion and extended fuel consumption by ships, biofilm also contributes to ecological changes by spreading invasive bacterial species across the world when segments of biofilm are detached from moving ships. The project goal was to study formulations for antifouling coatings that are non-toxic and utilize extract from an organic renewable super-fruit, Sambucus nigra, commonly known as elderberry. We also wanted to develop procedures to incorporate elderberry extract into different polymers and coatings and study the influence of phytochemicals and concentrations, formulation composition and water conditions on antifouling protection. We prepared antifouling formulations with anthocyanins, polyphenols and flavonoids at different dilutions (1 -8 x), mixed them with a solant and a polymer. Each prepared sample was characterized using microscopy to see if the polymer was smoothly adhering to the test slide. Water samples from different GPS controlled locations in Assawoman Bay were collected for testing with different polymer formulations. A tray of slides covered with each formulation was then soaked in water samples and placed on orbital shaker to imitate motion of water for 72 hrs-2 weeks. Slides were then washed with DI water, dried and analyzed for biofilm formation. Based on our results optimal polymer/solvent concentration for best antifouling polymeric blend is likely between 40-100 mg/ml. However, additional trial are needed to determine a suitable polymer/solvent ration. Further studies will be extended to other super-berries, role of bacteria in the process of biofilm formation and non-toxic properties of new formulations.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): This research is supported by NAVY-MSI Award # 13253092 to Dr. Volkis. Summer internship of Ms. Baker was supported by the UMES REU in Marine and Estuarine Sciences, which is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation to Dr. Paulinus Chigbu (NSF Award #2050874). The author would like to thank for Financial support from NSF HBCU-UP (HRD-2011903), S-STEM (DUE-1834046), the Department of Education MSEIP (P120A2000016).
Faculty Advisor: Sarwan Dhir, dhirs0@fvsu.edu
Role: The part of the research I did with my grad student and mentor is making and working on extracts of freeze dried and whole elderberries. I also went out into Assawoman Bay to collect samples from the water that may have contained bacteria from over ten different water sampling sites.