Print Email Facebook Twitter Printing of Patterned, Engineered E. coli Biofilms with a Low-Cost 3D Printer Title Printing of Patterned, Engineered E. coli Biofilms with a Low-Cost 3D Printer Author Schmieden, D.T. (TU Delft BN/Marie-Eve Aubin-Tam Lab; Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft) Basalo Vázquez, Samantha J. (Student TU Delft; Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft) Sangüesa, Héctor (External organisation; Student TU Delft; Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft) van der Does, M. (Student TU Delft; Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft) Idema, T. (TU Delft BN/Timon Idema Lab; Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft) Meyer, A.S. (TU Delft BN/Anne Meyer Lab; Erasmus MC; Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft) Date 2018 Abstract Biofilms can grow on virtually any surface available, with impacts ranging from endangering the lives of patients to degrading unwanted water contaminants. Biofilm research is challenging due to the high degree of biofilm heterogeneity. A method for the production of standardized, reproducible, and patterned biofilm-inspired materials could be a boon for biofilm research and allow for completely new engineering applications. Here, we present such a method, combining 3D printing with genetic engineering. We prototyped a low-cost 3D printer that prints bioink, a suspension of bacteria in a solution of alginate that solidifies on a calcium-containing substrate. We 3D-printed Escherichia coli in different shapes and in discrete layers, after which the cells survived in the printing matrix for at least 1 week. When printed bacteria were induced to form curli fibers, the major proteinaceous extracellular component of E. coli biofilms, they remained adherent to the printing substrate and stably spatially patterned even after treatment with a matrix-dissolving agent, indicating that a biofilm-mimicking structure had formed. This work is the first demonstration of patterned, biofilm-inspired living materials that are produced by genetic control over curli formation in combination with spatial control by 3D printing. These materials could be used as living, functional materials in applications such as water filtration, metal ion sequestration, or civil engineering, and potentially as standardizable models for certain curli-containing biofilms. Subject 3D printingbiofilmbioprintingcurlisynthetic biology To reference this document use: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:07b1594d-94ef-46a1-bd04-e6592020cb55 DOI https://doi.org/10.1021/acssynbio.7b00424 Embargo date 2019-04-24 ISSN 2161-5063 Source ACS Synthetic Biology, 7 (5), 1328-1337 Bibliographical note Accepted Author Manuscript Part of collection Institutional Repository Document type journal article Rights © 2018 D.T. Schmieden, Samantha J. Basalo Vázquez, Héctor Sangüesa, M. van der Does, T. Idema, A.S. Meyer Files PDF Schmieden_et_al.pdf 1.16 MB Close viewer /islandora/object/uuid:07b1594d-94ef-46a1-bd04-e6592020cb55/datastream/OBJ/view