Spatial patterning of engineered biofilms
Abstract
Bacteria living in biofilms can have wide-ranging impacts on society, ranging from threateninghuman health to purifying drinking water. Biofilms are aggregates of bacterial cells surrounded by aself-produced, spatially-structured extracellular matrix. During biofilm growth, bacteria developenhanced resistance to both antibacterial treatments and mechanical stressors, making them difficult to eradicate but robust enough for usage in beneficial environmental applications. In order to develop new anti-biofilm treatments and to efficiently deploy beneficial biofilms, a reproducible,engineerable biofilm model system is urgently needed. In this proposal, we will use our homebuilt3D bacteria printer in combination with engineered bacteria to create model biofilmscontaining spatially-patterned gradients of biofilm components. The printed biofilm bacteria will betested for their emergent biological properties, including the spatial specialization of metabolism,the three-dimensional pattern of extracellular matrix components, and the ability to resist antibacterial treatments. Mechanical characterization of our biofilms through AFM and microrheology measurements will determine their physical stability and viscoelastic behavior. Our data will allow us to derive a series of design principles that predict the emergent biological and mechanical properties of biofilms based on the three-dimensional arrangement of their constituent components. Iterative improvement of our engineered biofilm model will allow us to develop new model biofilms that both replicate the robustness of natural biofilms and can also be engineered andreproducibly deployed. These model biofilms will be crucial for future development of anti-biofilmstrategies and therapeutics, as well as for the production of beneficial biofilms for use in variable,challenging environments.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 28, 2018
- Source ID
- FA23861814059
Entities
People
- Marie-Eve Aubin-Tam
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Delft University of Technology
- United States Air Force