Elucidating the role of E. coli biofilm extracellular matrix across scales

Abstract:
Biofilms are not only resistant but also adaptable to environmental conditions (e.g. temperature, humidity). Although the how remains unclear, their resilience is mainly due to the extracellular matrix. Understanding how environmental cues affect the molecular structure of biofilms and their resulting properties would greatly clarify their molecular structure/macroscopic behavior. We explored the interaction of biofilm extracellular matrix components and adaptive features through a multi-scale study of the resulting biofilm matrix arrangement, composition, and mechanical properties, as well as the interaction between fibers purified from the biofilms. The knowledge gained helps us predict how biofilms respond to changing conditions for applications such as potentially improving crop development and inspiring the design of new biomaterials.

Speaker:
Dr Macarena Siri
Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces

Biography:
I received my Ph.D. from the National University of Quilmes, Argentina, specializing in protein biophysics. I did a first postdoctoral fellowship at the National University of Córdoba, Argentina, working on the structure of bacterial functional amyloids. In 2021, I joined the Biomaterials Department at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Germany as a senior postdoc. Since then, my research has focused on understanding the behavior of the components of the biofilm extracellular matrix, combining biophysical and materials science approaches.