Combining Phage Display and Next-Generation Sequencing for Materials Sciences: A Case Study on Probing Polypropylene...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biotechnology
• Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Polypropylene (PP) adhesion is crucial for many industrial applications.
• Traditional methods for identifying binding peptides have limitations in sensitivity and scope.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify robust peptide sequences that bind to polypropylene (PP) using phage display and next-generation sequencing (NGS).
• To evaluate the efficacy of these peptides as primers for enhancing PP-metal adhesion.

Main Methods:

• Phage display biopanning was performed against polypropylene surfaces.
• Illumina next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used to analyze the selected peptide libraries.
• Selected peptides were applied as water-based primers to assess their effect on PP-metal adhesion.

Main Results:

• NGS identified robust PP-binding peptides not detectable by Sanger sequencing.
• NGS enabled detailed motif and statistical analysis, reducing false positives.
• Peptide primers increased PP-metal adhesion strength by 100% compared to non-primed surfaces.

Conclusions:

• Phage display combined with NGS is a powerful tool for discovering specific peptide binders.
• The identified peptides effectively prime polypropylene surfaces, significantly enhancing metal adhesion.
• This approach offers a novel strategy for improving material interfaces in various applications.