Surface bio-functionalization for anti-adhesive properties in biotechnological applications

Abstract text (incl. figure legends and references)

Pharmaceutical biotechnology has had a major impact on the treatment of diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and autoimmune disorders. For example, human insulin was the first drug produced through biotechnology and continues to be one of the most widely used biotechnology drugs.
Microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast cells, and mammalian cell lines are employed in the production process. Cell-based processes go through growth phases in which the initial cell stock must be cultured to a sufficient number to yield a significant amount of product. Although desired cell growth is necessary for production, unwanted biofilm formation (fouling) can also occur.
To address this challenge, a research project has successfully developed an anti-fouling coating for silicon-based glass surfaces. 1 This bio-coating has been validated against different cell types, including yeast cells and animal cell lines.2,3 The reduced adhesion of cells due to the surface coating helps to prevent biofilm formation.

Fig. 1.: Images of yeast adhesion

Fig. 2: Images of eukaryotic cell line adhesion

1. L. M. Langner, Biofunktionalisierung oxidischer Oberflächen über eine spezifische Bindung mit biotinylierten Wachstumsfaktoren für medizinische Anwendungen, Masterarbeit, Westfälische Hochschule, 2022.
2. V. Ettelt, K. Ekat, P. W. Kämmerer, B. Kreikemeyer, M. Epple, and M. Veith, "Streptavidin-coated surfaces suppress bacterial colonization by inhibiting non-specific protein adsorption," Journal of biomedical materials research. Part A 106 (3), 758–768 (2018).
3. V. Ettelt, A. Belitsky, M. Lehnert, A. Loidl-Stahlhofen, M. Epple, and M. Veith, "Enhanced selective cellular proliferation by multi-biofunctionalization of medical implant surfaces with heterodimeric BMP-2/6, fibronectin, and FGF-2," Journal of biomedical materials research. Part A 106 (11), 2910–2922 (2018).