Bacterial adhesion eradication and biofilm inhibition through laser surface texturing

• Laser surface texturing is able to target diverse bacterial strains by controlling surface properties like topography, wettability, chemical composition, thus highlighting an effective antibacterial behavior. • The rod-shaped microscaled Escherichia coli bacterium is particularly susceptible to topographical modifications: up to 99.8 % adhesion reduction was obtained with LIPSS and DLIP hierarchical structures comparable to the bacterium size. • The nanoscaled spherical-shaped Staphiloccoccus Aureus bacterium exhibits high sensitivity to the sinergistic effect of laser-induced wettability and chemistry: up to 80 % of adhesion reduction was found with superhydrophobic, VO 2 and Al 2 O 3 oxides enriched surfaces. • The microscaled rod-shaped Pseudomonas Aeruginosa bacterium is less responsive to topography as compared to E. coli due to its slimmer profile. P. Aeruginosa is more sensitive to wettability: up to 10 4 fold reduction in bacterial adhesion on laser texture superhydrophobic surfaces. The growing problem of bacterial and microbial resistance to antibiotics is closely tied to the ability of such microorganisms to form biofilms, composed of complex microbial communities embedded in an extracellular matrix (EPS). In fact, quorum sensing enables bacteria to coordinate their behaviors within biofilms, further increasing their resistance to external threats compared to free-floating forms, thus complicating the treatment with conventional antibiotics. Therefore, biofilm formation is closely linked to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which significantly increases health threats and the costs for the healthcare public system. Traditional antibacterial agents, such as silver ion coatings, photocatalytic materials, leaching biocides, and polymer chains, have shown some limitations, such as pathogen resistance, durability issues, and potential health risks. In response to these challenges, laser surface texturing (LST) has emerged as a promising and sustainable antibacterial alternative which consists in modifying the surfaces at the micro- and nanometric scales to inhibit bacterial colonization or destroy bacterial membranes. LST can prevent bacterial adhesion and biofouling or, on the other hand, promote biocidal action after bacterial adhesion. This review examines how laser-treated surfaces influence the behavior of key bacterial strains, such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus , and Pseudomonas aeruginosa , exploring the mechanisms by which LST affects bacterial adhesion, morphology, and biofilm formation. The effectiveness of these mechanisms will be assessed both individually and in combination based on the characteristics of each bacterial strain.