2026-10-07T20:08:29Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/33411433 2026-09-30T17:32:59Z category_33020 category_33053 portal_231 item_type_3 month_year_09_2026

Interfacial Energy Drives Robust Film Formation by <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> Hannah Gedde (18741967) Tagbo Niepa (16924176) Ümit Akbey (22510496) Chang-Hyeock Byeon (19250861) Parastoo Azadi (15136124) Li Tan (24689777) Biomaterials Chemical engineering Pseudomonas aeruginosa interfacial film biofilm extracellular polymeric substances rheology MAS NMR spectroscopy <p dir="ltr"><b><i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i></b><b> thrives in complex interfacial environments such as host–pathogen boundaries, industrial pipelines, and soil systems; however, the mechanisms by which bacteria cope with and respond to interfacial stress remain poorly understood. This study investigates how </b><b><i>P. aeruginosa</i></b><b> adapts to interfacial stress by quantifying the mechanics, composition, and structural evolution of bacterial films formed at oil–water interfaces. Using three strains with distinct matrix phenotypes (wild-type PAO1, alginate-overexpressing PAO1</b><b><i>mucA22</i></b><b>, and the clinical isolate PASL), cells are systematically exposed to high- and low-energy hexadecane and squalene oil phases to simulate varying levels of interfacial stress. To determine how this physical stress drives extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) production and film assembly, this study directly links multi-scale mechanical behavior to matrix composition and structural reorganization. Results demonstrate that interfacial entrapment triggers the active assembly of viscoelastic films, in which film elasticity and EPS chemical composition are directly dictated by both the bacterial phenotype and the oil's physical properties and chemistry. Notably, </b><b><i>P. aeruginosa</i></b><b> adapts to its environment by forming exceptionally robust networks under higher interfacial stress, establishing EPS-mediated mechanical restructuring as a primary coping mechanism for bacterial survival at fluid boundaries.</b></p> 2026-09-30T17:32:59Z Dataset Dataset 10.1184/R1/33411433.v2 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Interfacial_Energy_Drives_Robust_Film_Formation_by_i_Pseudomonas_aeruginosa_i_/33411433 CC BY 4.0 Open Access after 2026-11-30