The use of protein surfactants as formulation ingredients

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Bacteria are single celled organisms that live in social communities called biofilms. Over the millennia bacteria have evolved sophisticated strategies to introduce three-dimensionality to the biofilm. The architecturally complex structure is generated biologically using a combination of proteins and large sugar molecules that function in the environment outside the cell. One protein that is needed for biofilm formation by a bacterium called Bacillus subtilis is BslA. This protein can self-assemble into an elastic film and forms a hydrophobic "raincoat" over the cells in the biofilm protecting them from external insults. In this application we will exploit nature by using the inherent self-assembly and hydrophobic properties of BslA within a wide range of applications of high industrial significance.