Biofilm inspired fabrication of functional bacterial cellulose through ex-situ and in-situ approaches

• Published in: Carbohydrate polymers Vol. 304; p. 120482
• Main Authors: Gilmour, Katie A., Aljannat, Mahab, Markwell, Christopher, James, Paul, Scott, Jane, Jiang, Yunhong, Torun, Hamdi, Dade-Robertson, Martyn, Zhang, Meng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 15.03.2023
• Subjects: Bacteria - metabolism; Bacterial cellulose; Cellulose - chemistry; Cellulose binding module; Ex-situ modification; Fermentation; In-situ modification; Recombinant BslA; Tissue Engineering; Bacterial cellulose; Recombinant BslA; In-situ modification; Ex-situ modification; Cellulose binding module
• ISSN: 0144-8617; 1879-1344
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.120482

Bacterial cellulose (BC) has been explored for use in a range of applications including tissue engineering and textiles. BC can be produced from waste streams, but sustainable approaches are needed for functionalisation. To this end, BslA, a B. subtilis biofilm protein was produced recombinantly with and without a cellulose binding module (CBM) and the cell free extract was used to treat BC either ex-situ, through drip coating or in-situ, by incorporating during fermentation. The results showed that ex-situ modified BC increased the hydrophobicity and water contact angle reached 120°. In-situ experiments led to a BC film morphological change and mechanical testing demonstrated that addition of BslA with CBM resulted in a stronger, more elastic material. This study presents a nature inspired approach to functionalise BC using a biofilm hydrophobin, and we demonstrate that recombinant proteins could be effective and sustainable molecules for functionalisation of BC materials. [Display omitted]