Proteins for Bioinspired Adhesive Formulations

Biofilms are aggregates of microorganisms in which cells adhere to each other and/or to a surface and are frequently embedded within a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substance. This extracellular substance can be of interest in the search of new biobased adhesives. This research focuses on a protein from Bacillus subtilis. This protein has been highly produced in an overexpressing strain with the aim of assessing its involvement in biofilm formation and adhesion mechanisms. A bioadhesion assay showed that the overexpressing strain presented enhanced adherence to abiotic surfaces. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy showed that cells in biofilms appeared to be completely encased in an extracellular matrix when the protein is overproduced. These results confirm the relationship between the expression of the selected protein and an increase in biofilm adherence to abiotic surfaces and allow considering the use of this protein as a base polymer in the formulation of bioinspired adhesives.