Patterned Hydrophobic Domains in the Exopolymer Matrix of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 Biofilms

Water-dispersible amphiphilic surface-engineered quantum dots (QDs) were found to be strongly accumulated within discrete zones of the exopolymer network of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 biofilms, but not on the cell surfaces. These microdomains showed a patterned distribution in the exopolymer matrix, which led to a restricted diffusion of the amphiphilic nanoparticles.