P2-141 Fabrication and Potential Application of Biomimetic Surface for Probing Plant-Bacteria Interactions

Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Exhibit Hall D (Indiana Convention Center)
Boce Zhang, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Yaguang Luo, U.S. Department of Agriculture-ARS, Beltsville, MD
Qin Wang, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Xiangwu Nou, U.S. Department of Agriculture-ARS, Beltsville, MD
Patricia Millner, U.S. Department of Agriculture-ARS, Beltsville, MD
Introduction: Understanding of plant-bacterial interactions is of critical importance for developing effective control measures against infectious diseases caused by foodborne human pathogens. However, limitations of existing scientific tools to access and evaluate natural plant tissues, and the large variations in hierarchical microstructure and topographical features among plant leaf surfaces significantly hinders the understanding of plant-bacteria interfacial interactions and development of effective intervention technologies. 

Purpose: Develop novel biomimetic material that could replicate surface chemical and structural information from natural plant tissue to facilitate research studies on bacteria-substratum interactions and development of effective pathogen inactivation technologies.

Methods: In this study, we developed a two-step replica molding method for rapid fabrication of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and agarose (AGAR)-based biomimetic surfaces, using spinach leaf as a model. The potential application of those biomimetic surfaces for food safety research was further evaluated.

Results: Both polymers successfully mimicked the leaf surface microstructure, while each possesses unique chemical, physical, and biological features. PDMS biomimetic surfaces provide structural durability for scanning electron microscopy examination, comparable surface wettability for coating development, and real-time monitoring capability by incorporation into a micro-fluidic device. AGAR biomimetic surfaces are suitable for bacterial growth, recovery, and quantification studies. AGAR biomimetic surfaces demonstrate great capacity for investigating the effect of surface topography on the survival and inactivation of Escherichia coli cells during biocide treatment. 

Significance: Overall, this technology facilitates reproducibility of experiments involving disinfection and attachment/release of microbes from plant surfaces, but without any of the leaf-to-leaf or plant-to-plant variability that confounds experiments with real produce.