Targeting the Mechanical Properties of Biofilms for New Approaches to Treating Infections
Abstract
Biofilms are communities of bacteria embedded in a matrix of polymer and protein. Being in a biofilm greatly helps bacteria resist antibiotics and the immune system; as a result, chronic biofilm infections can last decades. Biofilm-forming bacteria can produce more than one type of matrix polymer, and matrix polymers and proteins interact to have different impacts on biofilms' viscoelastic response to mechanical stress. In light of the increasing need for new anti-biofilm therapies, we aim to find approaches to disrupting biofilm mechanics by interfering with specific interactions between matrix components. We use bulk rheology and atomic force microscopy to characterize the mechanical impact of different matrix polymers produced by the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We find that these biofilms create their strongest matrices by producing polymers of long chains with high ductility in combination with polymers that form stiff cross-linked networks. By targeting these ductile chains or the link-points of these networks, we can subsequently target the individual mechanics of the bacterial biofilm. Building on this, we intend to determine how attacking specific mechanical properties of biofilms can make biofilms more vulnerable to clearance by the immune system.
NSF GRFP.- Publication:
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APS March Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018APS..MARA49006K