Spherical microbeads functionalized with two types of chemical groups (NH2, OH) were chosen as a simplified bacterial model, in order to elucidate the role of macromolecular interactions between specific biopolymers and 316L stainless steel, in the frame of biofilm formation in the marine environment. NH2 microbeads were used in their native form or after covalent binding to BSA or different representative poly-amino acids. OH microbeads were used in their native form. Adhesion force between microbeads and bare or BSA-coated stainless steel was quantified at nanoscale. Shear-flow-induced detachment experiments were combined with a simplified version of a theoretical model, based on the balance of hydrodynamic forces and torque exerted on microbeads. A maximal adhesion force of 27.6 +/- 8.5 nN was obtained for BSA-coated NH2 microbeads. The high reactivity of OH functional groups was assessed (adhesion force of 15.6 +/- 4.8 nN for large microbeads). When charge-conducting stainless steel was coated with BSA, adhesion force was significantly lower than the one estimated with the bare surface, probably due to an increase in hydrophilic surface properties or suppression of charge transfer. The mechanism for microbead detachment was established (mainly rolling). The flow chamber and the associated theoretical modelling were demonstrated to be a relevant approach to quantify nanoscale forces between interacting surfaces. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.