Micropatterning of bacteria on two-dimensional lattice protein surface observed by atomic force microscopy

In this study, we characterized the two-dimensional lattice of bovine serum albumin ( SA) as a chemical and physical barrier against bacterial adhesion, using fluorescence microscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The lattice of BSA on glass Surface was fabricated by micro-contact printing (mu CP), which is a useful way to pattern a wide range of molecules into rnicroscale features on different types of substrates. The contact-mode AFM measurements showed that the average height of the printed BSA monolayer was 5-6nm. Escherichia coli adhered rapidly on bare glass slide, while the bacterial adhesion was minimized on the lattices in the range of 1-3 mu m(2). Especially, the bacterial adhesion was completely inhibited on a 1 mu m(2) lattice. The results suggest that the anti-adhesion effects are due by the steric repulsion forces exerted by BSA. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.