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Electromagnetically Controlled Biological Assembly of Aligned Bacterial Cellulose Nanofibers

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Abstract

We have developed a new biofabrication process in which the precise control of bacterial motion is used to fabricate customizable networks of cellulose nanofibrils. This article describes how the motion of Acetobacter xylinum can be controlled by electric fields while the bacteria simultaneously produce nanocellulose, resulting in networks with aligned fibers. Since the electrolysis of water due to the application of electric fields produces the oxygen in the culture media far from the liquid–air boundary, aerobic cellulose production in 3D structures is readily achievable. Five separate sets of experiments were conducted to demonstrate the assembly of nanocellulose by A. xylinum in the presence of electric fields in micro- and macro-environments. This study demonstrates a new concept of bottom up material synthesis by the control of a biological assembly process.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the Institute for Critical Technologies and Applied Science (ICTAS) at Virginia Tech for financial support and the NCFL at ICTAS for support with imaging. We thank Dr. Aase Bodin for introducing Mike Sano to the bacterial cellulose field as well as Jaclyn Brennan, Phillip Zellner, Hadi Shafiee for experimental assistance. We also acknowledge Nathan Petersen and Michelle Davalos for assistance with editing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virginia Tech - Wake Forest University, 329 ICTAS Building, Stanger Street (MC 0298), Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA

    Michael B. Sano, Paul Gatenholm & Rafael V. Davalos

  2. Engineering Science and Mechanics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA

    Michael B. Sano & Rafael V. Davalos

  3. Materials Science and Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA

    Andrea D. Rojas, Paul Gatenholm & Rafael V. Davalos

  4. WWSC, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chalmers, SE-412 96, Gotheburg, Sweden

    Paul Gatenholm

Authors
  1. Michael B. Sano
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  2. Andrea D. Rojas
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  3. Paul Gatenholm
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  4. Rafael V. Davalos
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rafael V. Davalos.

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Associate Editor Scott L. Diamond oversaw the review of this article.

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Sano, M.B., Rojas, A.D., Gatenholm, P. et al. Electromagnetically Controlled Biological Assembly of Aligned Bacterial Cellulose Nanofibers. Ann Biomed Eng 38, 2475–2484 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-010-9999-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-010-9999-0

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