On-Demand Modulation of Bacterial Cell Fates on Multifunctional Dynamic Substrates

This paper reports unprecedented dynamic surfaces based on zwitterionic low-density self-assembled monolayers (LDSAMs) of alkanethiolates on gold, which integrate three interconvertible states—bacteria-adherable, bactericidal, and nonfouling states—through electrical modulations. The conformations of alkanethiolates were electrically modulated to generate zwitterionic, anionic, and cationic surfaces, which responded differently to bacteria and determined the fate of bacteria. Furthermore, the reversible switching of multifunctions of the surface was realized for killing bacteria and subsequently releasing dead bacteria from the surface. For practical application of our strategy, we examined the selective antibacterial effect of our surface for eradication of mycoplasma contaminants in contaminated mammalian cell cultures.