| Tailoring the surface properties of bulk materials for control of interactions with biomolecules is crucial in the development of advanced biomaterials for use in biological contexts. Thus, various surface modification strategies have been developed to provide control over biointerfacial phenomena. The functionality desired varies depending on the application (e.g., implants, biosensors, and nanoparticles), but many common biomaterial systems can benefit from reduced or suppressed non-specific interactions, since non-specific binding of biomolecules to surfaces can interfere with the function of materials and/or trigger adverse biological responses.;In this work we developed two different kinds of polymers; one whose function is to serve as a platform for biomolecule immobilization to introduce bioactivity to various types of materials; the other forms a stealth layer to prevent nonspecific binding of biomolecules to surfaces. Inspired by the strong adherence of marine mussels to a variety of underwater substrates, these polymers were designed to contain key chemical constituents present at high concentration in mussel adhesive proteins (MAPs) found near the plaque-substrate interface [1, 2]. For example, the amino acids 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) and lysine (Lys) together represent over 50% of all amino acids found in Mefp5, and these amino acids are believed to give rise to mussels' versatile and strong adherence. Thus, the two polymers contain catechol and amine functional groups found respectively in the side chains of DOPA and Lys residues. With the first catecholamine polymer we demonstrated versatile surface modification for biosensor applications. Whereas the second polymer, which contained a catecholamine anchor, was used as a powerful antifouling polymer intended for surface modification of implants and nanoparticles. |
