Living Cellulose Materials with Tunable Viscoelasticity through Probiotic Proliferation

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Materials Engineering
• Synthetic Biology

Background:

• Bacterial cellulose is a widely studied biomaterial.
• Tuning the mechanical properties of biomaterials often relies on external stimuli.
• Living materials offer novel approaches to material design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce probiotic cellulose (PC) as a living material (LM).
• To demonstrate that probiotic proliferation can tune the viscoelasticity of bacterial cellulose.
• To explore PC as a living bio-ink with time-dependent tunable properties for applications like 3D printing.

Main Methods:

• Integration of probiotics into a bacterial cellulose matrix.
• Monitoring the viscoelastic properties of the composite material over time.
• Characterization of the material's transition from fluid-like to solid-like behavior.

Main Results:

• Probiotic proliferation within the cellulose matrix was observed.
• The viscoelastic moduli of the material were modulated by probiotic growth.
• The material transitioned from lower-than-matrix viscoelasticity to moduli resembling elastic solids.
• PC demonstrated tunable viscoelasticity solely through time-dependent biological activity.

Conclusions:

• Probiotic cellulose represents a novel living material where biological activity tunes mechanical properties.
• This living bio-ink offers a unique, time-dependent alternative to external stimuli for mechanical property modulation.
• PC holds significant promise for advanced applications such as 3D printing requiring tunable viscoelasticity.