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

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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.