Design of Polymeric Thin Films to Direct Microbial Biofilm Growth, Virulence, and Metabolism

Biofilms are ubiquitous in nature, yet strategies to direct biofilm behavior without genetic manipulation are limited. Due to the small selection of materials that have been used to successfully grow biofilms, the availability of functional materials that are able to support growth and program microbial functions remains a critical bottleneck in the design and deployment of functional yet safe microbes. Here, we report the design of insoluble pyridine-rich polymer surfaces synthesized using initiated chemical vapor deposition, which led to modulated biofilm growth and virulence in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PAO1). A variety of extracellular virulence factors exhibited decreased production in response to the functional polymer, most significantly biomolecules also associated with iron acquisition, validating the material design strategy reported here. This report signifies a rich potential for materials-based strategies to direct the behavior of naturally occurring biofilms, which complement the existing genetic engineering toolkits in advancing microbiology, translational medicine, and biomanufacturing.