Modification of surface structure for the promotion of food safety and health protection is a technology of interest among many industries. With this study, we aimed specifically to develop a tenable solution for the fabrication of self-cleaning biomimetic surface structures for agricultural applications such as post-harvest packing materials and greenhouse cover screens. Phytopathogenic fungi such as Botrytiscinerea are a major concern for agricultural systems. These molds are spread by airborne conidia that contaminate surfaces and infect plants and fresh produce, causing significant losses. The research examined the adhesive role of microstructures of natural and synthetic surfaces and assessed the feasibility of structured biomimetic surfaces to easily wash off fungal conidia. Soft lithography was used to create polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) replications of Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) and Colocasia esculenta (elephant ear) leaves. Conidia of B. cinerea were applied to natural surfaces for a washing procedure and the ratios between applied and remaining conidia were compared using microscopy imaging. The obtained results confirmed the hypothesis that the dust-repellent C. esculenta leaves have a higher conidia-repellency compared to tomato leaves which are known for their high sensitivities to phytopathogenic molds. This study found that microstructure replication does not mimic conidia repellency found in nature and that conidia repellency is affected by a mix of parameters, including microstructure and hydrophobicity. To examine the effect of hydrophobicity, the study included measurements and analyses of apparent contact angles of natural and synthetic surfaces including activated (hydrophilic) surfaces. No correlation was found between the surface apparent contact angle and conidia repellency ability, demonstrating variation in washing capability correlated to microstructure and hydrophobicity. It was also found that a microscale sub-surface (tomato trichromes) had a high conidia-repelling capability, demonstrating an important role of non-superhydrophobic microstructures.
For some pathogenic fungi, sensing surface topography is part of their infection strategy. Their directional growth and transformation to a new developmental stage is influenced by contact with topographic features, which is referred to as thigmo-response, the exact functionality of which is not fully understood. Research on thigmo-responses is often performed on biomimetically patterned surfaces (BPS). Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is especially suitable for fabrication of BPS. Here, we used synthetic BPS surfaces, mimicking tomato leaf surface, made from PDMS with the pathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea to study the influence of structural features of the leaf surface on the fungus behavior. As a control, a PDMS surface without microstructure was fabricated to maintain the same chemical properties. Pre-penetration processes of B. cinerea, including the distribution of conidia on the surface, germination, and germ tube growth were observed on both leaf-patterned and flat PDMS. Microstructure affected the location of immediate attachment of conidia. Additionally, the microstructure of the plant host stimulated the development of germ tube in B. cinerea, at a higher rate than that observed on flat surface, suggesting that microstructure plays a role in fungus attachment and development.
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