Laser-induced vapour nanobubbles improve drug diffusion and efficiency in bacterial biofilms

Hindered penetration of antibiotics through biofilms is one of the reasons for the alarming increase in bacterial tolerance to antibiotics. Here, we investigate the potential of laser-induced vapour nanobubbles (VNBs) formed around plasmonic nanoparticles to locally disturb biofilm integrity and improve antibiotics diffusion. Our results show that biofilms of both Gram-negative ( Burkholderia multivorans , Pseudomonas aeruginosa ) and Gram-positive ( Staphylococcus aureus ) bacteria can be loaded with cationic 70-nm gold nanoparticles and that subsequent laser illumination results in VNB formation inside the biofilms. In all types of biofilms tested, VNB formation leads to substantial local biofilm disruption, increasing tobramycin efficacy up to 1-3 orders of magnitude depending on the organism and treatment conditions. Altogether, our results support the potential of laser-induced VNBs as a new approach to disrupt biofilms of a broad range of organisms, resulting in improved antibiotic diffusion and more effective biofilm eradication. Eradication of bacterial infections can be hindered by poor penetration of antibiotics through biofilms. Here, Teirlinck et al . show that laser-induced vapour nanobubbles formed around plasmonic nanoparticles can be used to locally disturb biofilm integrity and improve antibiotic diffusion.