Current Trends and Biotechnological Innovations in Biofouling Control of RO Membranes in Desalination Systems

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dc.contributor.authorCruz-Balladares, Victoria
dc.contributor.authorVera-Villalobos, Hernan
dc.contributor.authorRiquelme, Carlos
dc.contributor.authorSilva Aciares, Fernando
dc.date.accessioned2026-08-28T01:46:34Z
dc.date.available2026-08-28T01:46:34Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.description.abstractBackground: Water scarcity is a pressing global challenge increasingly addressed by ad-vanced desalination that converts seawater into potable water. Reverse osmosis and ultra-filtration dominate because they deliver permeate with very low impurities. Their principallimitation is membrane biofouling, which causes clogging, raises energy, operation, andmaintenance costs, and shortens membrane life. Multiple approaches mitigate biofouling—most notably pretreatment trains and engineered surface coatings—but cleaning remainsthe most decisive remediation pathway. Current practice distinguishes physical, chemical,and biological cleaning. Biological cleaning has gained momentum by exploiting microor-ganisms that inherently counter biofilms. These strategies include targeted secretion ofenzymes and antifouling metabolites, and the application of whole-cell culture super-natants containing the full suite of secreted components. In addition, predatory bacteriacan infiltrate established biofilms and eradicate them by lysing prey, thereby acceleratingthe removal of adherent biomass. Progress across these bio-based approaches signals mean-ingful advances in fouling control and could substantially improve the efficiency, reliability,and sustainability of desalination facilities. Collectively, they underscore the transformativepotential of biological antifouling agents in operational systems. Realizing that potentialwill require rigorous evaluation of technical performance, long-term stability, compatibilitywith polyamide membranes, regulatory acceptance, and environmental safety, ultimatelyalongside scalable production and cost-effective deployment in full-scale plan
dc.description.sponsorshipAgencia Nacional de Investigacion y Desarrollo (ANID) [IT24I0016]
dc.identifier.doi10.3390/membranes15090270
dc.identifier.issn2077-0375
dc.identifier.urihttps://repositorioabierto.uantof.cl/handle/uantof/726
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherMDPI
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 International
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.sourceMembranes
dc.subjectbiofouling
dc.subjectantifouling
dc.subjectreverse osmosis
dc.subjectbiosurfactants
dc.subjectquorum-quenching
dc.subjectdesalination
dc.titleCurrent Trends and Biotechnological Innovations in Biofouling Control of RO Membranes in Desalination Systems
dc.typeReview
oaire.citation.volume15
oaire.citationIssue9
organization.identifier.rorhttps://ror.org/04eyc6d95
organization.legalNameUniversidad de Antofagasta
uantof.identificator.centerCentro de Bioinnovación
uantof.identificator.departmentDepartamento de Biotecnología
uantof.identificator.facultyFacultad de Ciencias del Mar y Recursos Biológicos
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