METHODS OF INHIBITING SURFACE ATTACHMENT OF MICROORGANISMS

Shown herein is that natural systems provide a solution to prevent biofilms in the form of mucus, the hydrogel that coats the wet surfaces of vertebrates. Using defined in vitro assays, it was found that mucin biopolymers, the main functional constituents of mucus, acted as natural dispersants by promoting the motility of planktonic bacteria, and preventing their adhesion to underlying surfaces. The deletion of motility genes, however, allowed Pseudomonas aeruginosa to overcome the dispersive effects of mucus and form suspended antibiotic-resistant flocs, which mirror the immotile natural isolates found in the cystic fibrosis lung mucus. It was concluded that mucus is used by hosts to manipulate microbial behavior. Moreover, mucus offers new strategies that target bacterial virulence, and vexing engineering challenges, such as the design of anti-biofilm coatings for implants. Accordingly, in one aspect, the invention is directed to a method of inhibiting one or more microorganisms from attaching to a surface, forming suspended aggregates or a combination thereof, comprising contacting the one or more microorganisms, the surface or a combination thereof with purified, native, non-human mucin. In another aspect, the invention is directed to a method of inhibiting one or more microorganisms from forming a biofilm comprising contacting the one or more microorganisms with purified, native non-human mucin. The method can further comprise contacting a surface upon which the one or more microorganisms can form a biofilm, with purified, non-human mucin.