Research Themes:
Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine
Molecular and Cellular Engineering

Education

PhD (chemical engineering), Rice University, 1980

Research Interests

• Bacterial Adhesion and Biofilm Formation
• Biomaterials that Heal while Preventing Bacterial Infection
• Macromolecular Mass Transfer Mechanisms in Cells and Bacterial Biofilms
• Plasmid Retention, Expression, and Transfer within Biofilm Communities
• Engineering the Immune System

Contact Information

Department of Bioengineering
University of Washington
Box 355061
William H. Foege Building, Room N310C
Phone: 206-221-5876
E-mail
Lab Web site

Research Description

Worldwide production of biomedical devices and tissue engineering-related materials is a $170 billion per year industry and expanding rapidly. However, 80% of hospital-acquired infections are associated with implants or indwelling medical devices; with the case-to-fatality ratio of these infections ranging between 5-60%. ‘Bioinspired’ materials incorporate spatially defined physical (e.g., microscale surface topographies) or chemical cues (e.g., spatial patterns of extracellular matrix or adhesion signals) to guide the local organization and physiology of incoming mammalian cells. Unfortunately, signals designed to seduce mammalian cells may also enhance bacterial colonization and infections.

Biofilms are dense microcolonies of microbial cells entrapped within a polysaccharide matrix attached to a surface. The ‘biofilm concept’ fundamentally contradicts the assumption that infectious cells are evenly distributed and therefore equally vulnerable to immune responses or antibiotic therapies. The biofilm mode of growth accounts for several problematic clinical challenges, such as: symptomatic, but unculturable species; chronic inflammation; rapidly acquired antibiotic resistance; recurrence or persistence of infections; and metastasis or the spread of infectious emboli.

Our systems-approach to biofilm research comprises the following topics: receptor:ligand specific adhesion, genomics/proteomics of biofilm formation, three-dimensional mass transport phenomena in thick biofilms, enhancing phagocytosis of bacteria, engineering infection immunity, and developing biomaterials to selectively differentiate healing immune cells.

Teaching Activities

• BIOEN 335: Biotransport II
• BIOEN 498.599: Biofilm Engineering

Honors and Awards

1980-85 Research Faculty, Institut für Biotechnologie, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschulen (ETH), Zürich Switzerland
1992-95 J. Monod Research Fellowship, Institut de Pasteur, locale Université de Metz, Centre des Sciences de l'Environnement
1996 Hunter Visiting Professorship, Bioengineering Department, Clemson University, Clemson
2004 College of Fellows, American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineers
1994-2009 Associate Editor, Biotechnology and Bioengineering, J. Wiley Publ.
2009- Member, Board of Review Editors, Biotechnology and Bioengineering, J. Wiley Publ.

Selected Publications

• Linnes JC, Ma H, Bryers JD. Giant Extracellular Matrix Binding Protein Expression in Staphylococcus epidermidis is Regulated by Biofilm Formation and Osmotic Pressure. Curr Microbiol. 2013 66(6):627-633.PMID: 23380801.
• Park J, Bryers JD. Chemokine Programming Dendritic Cell Antigen Response: Part II - Programming Antigen Presentation to T Lymphocytes by Partially Maintaining Immature Dendritic Cell Phenotype. Immunology. 2013. 139(1):88-99. PMID: 23277917.
• Park J, Wu CT, Bryers JD. Chemokine programming dendritic cell antigen response: part I - select chemokine programming of antigen uptake even after maturation. Immunology. 2013. 139(1):72-87. PMID: 23278719.
• Galperin A, Oldinski RA, Florczyk SJ, Bryers JD, Zhang M, Ratner BD. Integrated Bi-Layered Scaffold for Osteochondral Tissue Engineering. Adv Healthc Mater. 2012. PMID: 23225568.
• Cheng C, Convertine AJ, Stayton PS, Bryers JD. Multifunctional triblock copolymers for intracellular messenger RNA delivery. Biomaterials. (2012) 33(28): 6868–6876. PMID: 22784603.
• Bryers JD, Giachelli CM, Ratner BD. Engineering biomaterials to integrate and heal: The biocompatibility paradigm shifts. Biotechnol Bioeng. 2012 109(8):1898-1911. PMID: 22592568.
• Linnes JC, Ma H, Bryers JD. Giant Extracellular Matrix Binding Protein Expression in Staphylococcus epidermidis is Regulated by Biofilm Formation and Osmotic Pressure. Curr Microbiol. 2013 66(6):627-633.PMID: 23380801.
• Park J, Bryers JD. Chemokine Programming Dendritic Cell Antigen Response: Part II - Programming Antigen Presentation to T Lymphocytes by Partially Maintaining Immature Dendritic Cell Phenotype. Immunology. 2013. 139(1):88-99. PMID: 23277917.
• Park J, Wu CT, Bryers JD. Chemokine programming dendritic cell antigen response: part I - select chemokine programming of antigen uptake even after maturation. Immunology. 2013. 139(1):72-87. PMID: 23278719.
• Galperin A, Oldinski RA, Florczyk SJ, Bryers JD, Zhang M, Ratner BD. Integrated Bi-Layered Scaffold for Osteochondral Tissue Engineering. Adv Healthc Mater. 2012. PMID: 23225568.
• Cheng C, Convertine AJ, Stayton PS, Bryers JD. Multifunctional triblock copolymers for intracellular messenger RNA delivery. Biomaterials. (2012) 33(28): 6868–6876. PMID: 22784603.
• Bryers JD, Giachelli CM, Ratner BD. Engineering biomaterials to integrate and heal: The biocompatibility paradigm shifts. Biotechnol Bioeng. 2012 109(8):1898-1911. PMID: 22592568.
• Linnes JC, Mikhova K, Bryers JD. Adhesion of Staphylococcus epidermidis to biomaterials is inhibited by fibronectin and albumin. J Biomed Mater Res A. 100(8):1990-1997 (2012)  PMID: 22566405.
• Park KR, Bryers JD. Effect of macrophage classical (M1) activation on implant-adherent macrophage interactions with Staphylococcus epidermidis: A murine in vitro model system. J Biomed Mater Res A. (2012) 100(8):2045-2053.  PMID: 22581669.
• Ruckh TT, Oldinski RA, Carroll DA, Mikhova K, Bryers JD, Popat KC. Antimicrobial effects of nanofiber poly(caprolactone) tissue scaffolds releasing rifampicin. J Mater Sci Mater Med., 23(6):1411-20.  (2012). PMID: 22407002.
• Manganiello, MJ, Cheng, C, Convertine, AJ, Bryers, JD, Stayton, PS. Diblock copolymers with tunable pH transitions for gene delivery, Biomaterials 33: 2301-2309(2012). PMID: 22169826.
• Valdes, TI, Ciridon, W, Ratner, BD, Bryers, J.D. Modulation of fibroblast inflammatory response by surface modification of a perfluorinated ionomer, Biointerphases 6(2):43-53, (2011). PMID: 21721839.
• Garty S, Shirakawa R, Warsen A, Anderson EM, Noble ML, Bryers JD, Ratner BD, Shen. TT. Sustained antibiotic release from an intraocular lens-hydrogel assembly for cataract surgery, Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 52(9):6109-6116 (2011). PMID: 21447687.
• Katzenmeyer KN, Bryers JD. Multivalent artificial opsonin for the recognition and phagocytosis of Gram-positive bacteria by human phagocytes, Biomaterials. 32(16): 4042-4051.  (2011). PMID: 21388677.
• Ma, H. and Bryers, J.D. Non-invasive method to quantify local bacterial concentrations in a mixed culture biofilm. J Industrial Microbiol. & Biotechnol., 37(10): 1081-1089, (2010). PMID: 20552252.
• Novak MT, Bryers JD, Reichert WM. Biomimetic strategies based on viruses and bacteria for the development of immune evasive biomaterials. Biomaterials. 30(11):1989-2005, (2009). PMID: 19185345.
• Health . Jun 15;6 Suppl 1:S1. (2006).
• Bryers, J.D., Jarvis, R. A., Lebo, J., Prudencio, A., Kyriakides, T. R., Uhrich, K., Biodegradation of poly(anhydride-esters) into non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and their effect on Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms in vitro and on the foreign-body response in vivo, Biomaterials27: 5039–5048, (2006).
• Jarvis, R. A. and Bryers, J.D. Effects of Controlled Fibronectin Surface Orientation on Subsequent Staphylococcus epidermidis Adhesion, Journal of Biomedical Materials Research – A, 75A: 41–55, (2005).
• Sun, D., Accavitti-Loper, M. A., and Bryers, J. D. Inhibition of Biofilm Formation by Monoclonal Antibodies against Staphylococcus epidermidis RP62A Accumulation-Associated Protein, Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, 12(1): 93-100 (2005).
• Johnston, E. E., Bryers, J. D., and Ratner, B. D. Plasma Deposition and Surface Characterization of Oligoglyme, Dioxane, and Crown Ether Non-Fouling Thin Films, Langmuir, 21: 870-881 (2005).
• Bryers, J. D. and Ratner, B. D., Bioinspired Implant Materials Befuddle Bacteria, ASM News, 70: 232-237 (2004).
• Wagner, V. and Bryers, J. D. Poly(ethylene glycol)-polyacrylate copolymers modified to control adherent monocyte-macrophage physiology: Interactions with attaching Staphylococcus epidermidis or Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, J. Biomedical Materials Research, 69A: 79-90, (2004).
• Wagner, V., Koberstein, J., and Bryers, J. D. Linear- and Star-like PEG Surface Modifications of PEG-Poly(Acrylic acid) Co-polymers: Synthesis, Characterization, and Non-fouling aspects, Biomaterials, 25: 2247-2263, (2004).
• Klueh, U., Bryers, J. D., and Kreutzer, D. L., Binding and Orientation of Fibronectin on Polystyrene Surfaces Using Immobilized Bacterial Adhesion-related Peptides, J. Biomedical Materials Research, 67A: 36-43, (2003).