SEMINAR: Bayliss Seminar Series

My research group is interested in developing new materials and coatings for understanding the interface between biology and surfaces. In this talk, I will discuss some of our core capabilities in applying surface coatings as well-defined interfacial modifiers. Nature provides many examples of key biological processes that are influenced by the recognition of biomolecules on surfaces. For this, polymeric surface coatings bearing reactive functional groups allowing one-step immobilization of biomolecules are highly desirable. Furthermore, our research incorporates nature-inspired (non-homogeneous) approaches such as the ability to present biomolecules in patterns, gradients, and in three dimensions. I will focus on how these materials are being used to study microbial pathogenesis. As an example, I will present on the ability to modify surfaces of implantable biomaterials to prevent polymicrobial infections. Our new approach to this long standing problem is to examine the contribution of fungal pathogens (the so-called hidden killers in human disease), and to understand the difficulty in eliminating these eukaryotic pathogens while sparing human host tissues. I will also shed some light on how surface analysis exposes both the “promises and pitfalls” in the design of anti-infective biomaterials.