Programmable biofunctionalization of bacterial cellulose via a dynamic co-culture platform.

Authors

Fei Liu, Yanyi Wang, Bin Cui, Yanwen Feng, Jun Yue, Chao Zhong

Published in

Trends in biotechnology. Aug 19, 2026. Epub Aug 19, 2026.

Abstract

Programmable biofunctionalization of bacterial cellulose (BC) is promising for constructing engineered living materials, but current microbial co-culture approaches struggle to combine coherent matrix formation, dynamic cultivation, and efficient matrix-associated protein functionalization. In this study, we report a polydopamine (PDA)-mediated, surface-immobilized dynamic co-culture platform that pairs Komagataeibacter rhaeticus for BC production with engineered Pichia pastoris for recombinant protein secretion. PDA-mediated co-immobilization preserves conformal BC growth under agitation while maintaining the functional partner near the forming matrix. Cellulose-binding-domain fusion further retains secreted protein cargoes within the BC network, enabling localized functionalization. The template-guided strategy supports geometry control, construct-size scaling, and incorporation of multiple engineered yeast populations. Modular genetic payloads enable pollutant degradation and enzymatic cascade-based analyte detection. As an application-relevant demonstration, lysostaphin-functionalized BC hydrogels effectively controlled Staphylococcus aureus infection and accelerated wound closure in a diabetic murine model. This work establishes a functionally extensible framework for bioactive BC-based living materials.

PMID:
42618442
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 20 Aug 2026.

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