Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces that Prevent Bacterial Surface Fouling and Inhibit Virulence Phenotypes in Surrounding Planktonic Cells

Abstract

Surfaces that can both prevent bacterial biofouling and inhibit the expression of virulence phenotypes in surrounding planktonic bacteria are of interest in a broad range of contexts. Here, we report new slippery-liquid infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) that resist bacterial colonization (owing to inherent ‘slippery’ surface character) and also attenuate virulence phenotypes in non-adherent cells by gradually releasing small-molecule quorum sensing inhibitors (QSIs). QSIs active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa can be loaded into SLIPS without loss of their slippery and anti-fouling properties, and imbedded agents can be released into surrounding media over hours to days depending on the structures of the loaded agent. This controlled-release approach is useful for inhibiting virulence factor production and can also inhibit bacterial biofilm formation on nearby, non-SLIPS-coated surfaces. Finally, we demonstrate that this approach is compatible with the simultaneous release of more than one type of QSI, enabling greater control over virulence and suggesting new opportunities to tune the anti-fouling properties of these slippery surfaces.

Designing Liquid‐Infused Surfaces for Medical Applications: A Review

“…Dynamically adaptable surfaces have also been created by selecting an infusing liquid with switchable properties, such as temperature‐activated infused surfaces that become slippery and transparent when heated, and opaque and sticky when cooled . The effectiveness and versatility of liquid‐infused surfaces in which the liquids contain bioactive small molecules, such as bacterial quorum‐sensing compounds and nitric oxide, have also been demonstrated.…”

Superhydrophobic polymer multilayers for the filtration‐ and absorption‐based separation of oil/water mixtures

“…We demonstrated recently that this layer‐by‐layer approach could be used to fabricate oleophilic porous scaffolds useful for the design of slippery liquid‐infused porous surfaces (SLIPS), and that these oil‐infused multilayers, when created on the surfaces of stainless steel mesh substrates, yield slippery surfaces that prevent the passage of water and provide a new basis for the separation of oil/water mixtures . This current study sought to expand upon this approach, characterize the aqueous‐ and oil‐wetting behaviors of flexible porous substrates coated with these nanoporous PEI/PVDMA coatings in different media and environments, and explore the feasibility of using porous substrates coated with these materials as platforms for both filtration‐based and absorption‐based approaches to the separation of oil/water mixtures.…”

“…Prior to film fabrication, substrates (wire meshes or sponges) were cut to a desired size, washed with acetone, and dried using filtered compressed air. Multilayers were fabricated by reactive/covalent layer‐by‐layer assembly as previously reported, following the following general procedure: (i) substrates were submerged in a solution of PEI (20 mM in acetone with respect to the polymer repeat unit) for 20 s; (ii) substrates were removed and immersed into two consecutive acetone rinse baths for 20 s each; (iii) substrates were submerged into a solution of PVDMA (20 mM with respect to the polymer repeat unit) for 20 s; and (iv) substrates were immersed into two consecutive acetone rinse baths for 20 s each. This cycle was repeated 35 times to produce PEI/PVDMA multilayers 35 “bilayers” thick.…”

Emerging Applications of Bioinspired Slippery Surfaces in Biomedical Fields

“… Quorum sensing inhibitors (QSIs) were loaded into LISS . (a) Schematic illustrating the fabrication of the QSI‐loaded LISS.…”

“…Quorum sensing inhibitors (QSIs) were loaded into LISS. [51] (a) Schematic illustratingthe fabricationo ft he QSI-loadedL ISS. (b) Optical imagesofC V-stained biofilm attached to substrates (left) and bottoms (right), indicating that LISS loaded with QSIcan suppressb acterial adhesion and inhibit virulencef actorp roduction in surroundingp lanktonic cells.…”