Collaborative Research: Surface functionalization to promote beneficial biofilm formation and stability

第一部分： 非技术概述有害的生物膜在人类健康和环境中引起许多重大问题。与其制定防止材料上形成生物膜的策略，另一种方法是设计促进形成有益生物膜的材料，从而排出有害细菌。除了活的微生物外，生物膜的主要成分是由微生物分泌的胞外聚合物（EPS）。在这个合作项目中，研究人员将用特定的生物活性分子修饰材料表面，并研究它们对生物膜和EPS的形成和稳定性的作用。越来越多的证据表明，不同的材料表面可能会强烈影响生物膜的性质。然而，固定化生物活性分子对EPS分泌和生物膜形成的潜在机制和作用在很大程度上是未知的。 拟议的研究项目旨在弥合这一重要的知识差距，这将促进表面生物功能化的发展，以促进稳定的有益生物膜的形成。此外，该合作项目将为本科生提供培训机会，包括生物材料技术和数据科学方面代表性不足的学生，特别是在分析由数千个生物大分子组成的大型数据集并阐明其功能方面。第二部分： 本合作项目旨在了解多种配体的表面呈现如何影响有益细菌生物膜及其胞外聚合物（EPS）的形成和稳定性。研究人员将采用他们的表面功能化方法，在硅胶表面上呈现针对各种细菌表面组分的各种强大和特异性配体。他们将通过两种非致病性大肠杆菌来确定这些表面对生物膜形成的影响。大肠杆菌菌株。他们还将使用其独特的高通量流动生物膜反应器系统评估此类生物膜对其他细菌挑战的长期稳定性。 将通过最先进的质谱法鉴定和定量细菌在整个生物膜生命周期中分泌的EPS组分。这些数据有望为EPS在生物膜形成过程中如何发展提供新的见解，并揭示其生物学功能。在这项研究所产生的知识的指导下，研究人员将探索定制特定配体的表面呈现的潜力，以“编程”形成具有所需特性的生物膜。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

PART 1: NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARYHarmful biofilms cause many major problems in human health and the environment. Instead of developing strategies to prevent biofilm formation on materials, an alternative approach is to design materials that promote the formation of beneficial biofilms that expel harmful bacteria. In addition to live microbes, the major component of biofilms is the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) secreted by the microbes. In this collaborative project, researchers will modify materials surface with specific biologically active molecules and investigate their role on the formation and stability of the biofilms and EPS. Increasing body of evidence has indicated that different material surfaces may strongly influence the properties of a biofilm. However, the underlying mechanism and the role of the immobilized biologically active molecules on EPS secretion and biofilm formation are largely unknown. The proposed research project aims to bridge this important gap of knowledge which will facilitate development of surface biofunctionalization to promote formation of stable beneficial biofilms. Furthermore, this collaborative project will provide training opportunities for undergraduate students including underrepresented students in biomaterials technology and data science, especially in analyzing large datasets consisting of thousands of biomacromolecules and elucidating their functions. PART 2: TECHNICAL SUMMARYThis collaborative project aims to gain understanding on how surface presentation of multiple ligands affects the formation and stability of beneficial bacterial biofilms as well as their extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). The investigators will employ their surface functionalization methods to present a variety of strong and specific ligands targeting various bacterial surface components on silicone surfaces. They will determine the effect of such surfaces on biofilm formation by two non-pathogenic E. coli strains. They will also evaluate the long-term stability of such biofilms against the challenge by other bacteria using their unique high-throughput flow biofilm reactor system. The EPS components secreted by the bacteria throughout the biofilm life cycle will be identified and quantified by state-of-the-art mass spectrometry. The data is expected to provide new insights into how EPS are developed during biofilm formation and shed light on their biological functions. Guided by the knowledge generated from the study, the investigators will explore the potential of tailoring the surface presentation of specific ligands to “program” the formation of biofilms with desired properties.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.