Engineered Stochastic Adhesion Between Microbes as a Protection Mechanism Against Environmental Stress

Microbes aggregate when they display adhesive proteins on their outer membrane surfaces, which then form bridges between microbes. Aggregation protects the inner microbes from harsh environmental conditions such as high concentrations of antibiotics, high salt conditions, and fluctuations in pH. The protective effects of microbial aggregation make it an attractive target for improving the ability of probiotic strains to persist in the gut environment. However, it remains challenging to achieve synthetic microbial aggregation using natural adhesive proteins because these proteins frequently mediate microbial virulence.