| AVS 63rd International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Biomaterial Interfaces | Monday Sessions |
| Session BI+AS-MoM |
| Session: | Biomolecules and Cells at Interfaces |
| Presenter: | Morgan Alexander, The University of Nottingham, UK |
| Authors: | A.L. Hook, The University of Nottingham, UK A. Carabelli, The University of Nottingham, UK N.A. Russell, The University of Nottingham, UK P. Williams, The University of Nottingham, UK M.R. Alexander, The University of Nottingham, UK |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
High throughput screening has been used to discover a novel class of polymers with resistance to bacterial attachment and subsequent biofilm formation.[1,2] Physicochemical descriptions of the surfaces have to date been found insufficient to predict the wide range of bacterial attachment across these diverse polymer libraries, and cannot offer an explanation of the controlling phenomena. Whilst perhaps disappointing for the physical sciences, the life sciences are replete with information on how bacteria respond to their local environment, with chemotaxis being one of the most readily observed processes. Unsurprisingly, microorganisms cannot be approximated to inert spheres and rods as they possess surface responsive appendages such as flagella, which enable them to swim, pili that confer twitching motility and fimbriae that mediate surface attachment. These in turn are coupled to sophisticated signal transduction mechanisms that facilitate integration of multiple local environmental parameters at both single cell and population levels. Many of these sensory systems are postulated to contribute to surface sensing. As an example of the complexity of these processes, the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonasaeruginosa has over 60 two-component sensor kinase response regulator systems involved in environmental adaptation.
We believe that bacterial decision-making is key to determining whether a surface is colonised or not. I will present the early results from our optical microscopy investigations of how individual bacterial cells respond to surfaces. We have developed a novel microscope that collects temporal 3D information on cell position using both holography and remote scanning microscopy. [3] Simultaneously surface tracking can be achieved using DIC, TIRF and TIR microscopy. This allows us to track not only the motion of single cells at the surface, but also their approach to and behaviour after contact with the surface.
We will combine these findings with our existing understanding of the surface chemistry-attachment relationships achieved for certain subsets of materials and attachment regimes,[4,5] with chemical analysis of the in situ surface to build a complete description of this complex biointerface and the response of bacteria to it. This information is crucial in determining how bacteria behave with respect to defined surfaces and has important implications for the prevention of device centred infections.
1. Hook et al. Nature Biotechnology 2012
2. Hook et al. Advanced Materials 2013
3. Botcherby et al. Circulation Research 2013
4. Epa et al. Advanced Functional Materials 2014
5. Sanni et al. Advanced Healthcare Materials 2015