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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2020.03.28.013797

Bacterial envelope damage inflicted by bioinspired nanospikes grown in a hydrogel

Arias, S. L.·Devorkin, J.·Spear, J. C.·Civantos, A.·Allain, J. P.
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Abstract

Device-associated infections are one of the deadliest complications accompanying the use of biomaterials, and despite recent advances in the development of anti-biofouling strategies, biomaterials that exhibit both functional tissue restoration and antimicrobial activity have been challenging to achieve. Here, we report the fabrication of bio-inspired bactericidal nanospikes in bacterial cellulose and investigate the mechanism underlying this phenomenon. We demonstrate these structures affects preferentially stiff membranes like those in Gram-positive bacteria, but exhibit cytocompatibility towards mammalian cells, a requisite for tissue restoration. We also reveal the bactericidal activity of the nanospikes is due to a pressure-induced mechanism, which depends on the cells adherence time, nanospikes geometry and spacing, cell shape, and mechanical properties of the cell wall. Our findings provide a better understanding of the mechanobiology of bacterial cells at the interface with nanoscale structures, which is fundamental for the rational design bactericidal topographies.

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Arias, S. L., Devorkin, J., Spear, J. C., Civantos, A., Allain, J. P.. 2020-03-29. Bacterial envelope damage inflicted by bioinspired nanospikes grown in a hydrogel. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.03.28.013797

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