Dresden 2026 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 11: Franco-German Session: Bacterial Biophysics I

BP 11.9: Vortrag

Dienstag, 10. März 2026, 12:00–12:15, BAR/0106

Patchy Adhesion of Staphylococcus aureus on Structured Surfaces Uncovered via Single Cell Force Spectroscopy — •Samer Alokaidi¹, Hannah Heintz¹, Michael A. Klatt¹, Markus Bischoff², and Karin Jacobs¹ — ¹Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany — ²Institute for Microbiologie, Homburg/Saar, Germany

Investigating bacterial adhesion at the single-cell level provides critical insights into bio-film formation and the influence of surface properties on microbial attachment. This study examines the adhesion behavior of Stapylococcus aureus on wrinkled polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surfaces using single cell force spectroscopy (SCFS) [1]. While conventional SCFS typically evaluates a single contact point, our approach-utilizing structured surfaces-enables mapping of adhesion across the lower portion of the bacterial cell envelope. This method reveals considerable variation in adhesion strength at different points on the cell surface, supporting the "patchy colloid" model originally proposed for Escherichia coli. Simulations, incorporating angle-dependent molecule-substrate interactions, suggest that localized adhesive "hotspots" on S. aureus may arise from surface roughness, chemical composition, and the clustering of specific adhesive proteins. These findings emphasize the significance of surface structuring in bacterial attachment and provide insights that inform the design of antimicrobial materials.

[1] C. Spengler, E. Maikranz, et. al: "The adhesion capability of Staphylococcus aureus cells is heterogeneously distributed over the cell envelope", Soft Matter, 20 (2024) 484

Keywords: Single-Cell-Force-Spectroscopy; Staphylococcus-aureus