(360f) Investigation of the Antifouling Properties of Polyproline Self-Assembled Monolayers

Biofouling is a major concern for the surfaces of medical devices and biosensors. The goal of this research was to quantify protein adsorption onto polyproline to determine its capabilities in preventing biofouling on those surfaces. A quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) was used to measure the protein adsorption onto a gold sensor functionalized with a polyproline self-assembled monolayer. The adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and human plasma fibrinogen onto the coating was measured by examining the change in frequency shift, which is directly proportional to the change in mass. The measured change in frequency due to BSA adsorption was approximately ten times less on a polyproline SAM than on bare gold. The change in frequency due to fibrinogen adsorption was reduced from 100-125 Hz on bare gold to 40-45 Hz on the peptide coating. The data indicate that polyproline has the potential to repel proteins and therefore reduce biofouling. Moreover, the use of polyproline demonstrates that peptides can be used to further examine properties of antifouling surfaces, as different modifications of this peptide can be tested using this methodology.