Bacteria-instructed synthesis of polymers for self-selective microbial binding and labelling

Magennis, E. Peter; Fernandez-Trillo, Francisco; Sui, Cheng; Spain, Sebastian G.; Bradshaw, David; Churchley, David; Mantovani, Giuseppe; Winzer, Klaus; Alexander, Cameron

Abstract

The detection and inactivation of pathogenic strains of bacteria continues to be an important therapeutic goal. Hence, there is a need for materials that can bind selectively to specific microorganisms for diagnostic or anti-infective applications, but that can be formed from simple and inexpensive building blocks. Here, we exploit bacterial redox systems to induce a copper-mediated radical polymerization of synthetic monomers at cell surfaces, generating polymers in situ that bind strongly to the microorganisms that produced them. This 'bacteria-instructed synthesis' can be carried out with a variety of microbial strains, and we show that the polymers produced are self-selective binding agents for the 'instructing' cell types. We further expand on the bacterial redox chemistries to 'click' fluorescent reporters onto polymers directly at the surfaces of a range of clinical isolate strains, allowing rapid, facile and simultaneous binding and visualization of pathogens. © 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

Citation

Magennis, E. P., Fernandez-Trillo, F., Sui, C., Spain, S. G., Bradshaw, D., Churchley, D., …Alexander, C. (2014). Bacteria-instructed synthesis of polymers for self-selective microbial binding and labelling. Nature Materials, 13(7), 748-755. https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat3949

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 18, 2014
• Online Publication Date: May 11, 2014
• Publication Date: 2014-07
• Deposit Date: Jun 12, 2015
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 12, 2015
• Journal: Nature Materials
• Print ISSN: 1476-1122
• Electronic ISSN: 1476-4660
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 13
• Issue: 7
• Pages: 748-755
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat3949
• Keywords: Mechanical Engineering; General Materials Science; Mechanics of Materials; General Chemistry; Condensed Matter Physics
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/995360
• Publisher URL: http://www.nature.com/nmat/journal/v13/n7/full/nmat3949.html
• Additional Information: Received: 2 March 2013; Accepted: 18 March 2014; First Online: 11 May 2014; Change Date: 7 January 2016; Change Type: Correction; Change Details: In the version of this Article originally published, the fluorescence micrograph in Fig. 3b, the second panel on the lower row erroneously showed a micrograph that corresponded to Escherichia coli instead of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This error has been corrected in the online versions of the Article.; : The authors declare no competing financial interests.