Leafy green surface microbiology studies often experience significant variations in results due to the heterogeneous nature of leaf surfaces. To provide a precise and controllable substitute, we microfabricated double-sided artificial leafy green phylloplanes using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with a vinyl-terminated polyethylene glycol chain-based hydrophobicity modifier (PDMS-PEG) to modify PDMS hydrophobicity. We further tested the properties and applications of these artificial leaves, by examining the function of epicuticular wax, growth and survival of O157:H7 87–23 on the surface, and removal of attached cells via sanitation. The double-sided PDMS-PDMS-PEG leaves well-replicated their natural counterparts in macroscopic and microscopic structure, hydrophobicity, and O157:H7 87–23 attachment. After depositing natural epicuticular wax onto artificial leaves, the leaf surface wetting ability decreased, while O157:H7 87–23 surface retention increased. The artificial leaves supplied with lettuce lysate or bacterial growth media supported O157:H7 87–23 growth and survival similarly to those on natural leaves. In the sanitation test, the artificial lettuce leaves also displayed patterns similar to those of natural leaves regarding sanitizer efficiency. Overall, this study showcased the microfabrication and applications of double-sided PDMS-PDMS-PEG leaves as a replicable and controllable platform for future leafy green food safety studies.

中文翻译：

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用于微生物食品安全研究的微加工双面聚二甲基硅氧烷（PDMS）人造叶面

由于叶子表面的异质性，绿叶表面微生物学研究的结果经常会出现显着变化。为了提供精确可控的替代品，我们使用聚二甲基硅氧烷（PDMS）和乙烯基封端的基于聚乙二醇链的疏水性改性剂（PDMS-PEG）来微加工双面人造叶绿叶面，以改变PDMS的疏水性。我们通过检查表皮蜡的功能、O157:H7 87-23 在表面的生长和存活以及通过卫生去除附着的细胞，进一步测试了这些人造叶子的特性和应用。双面 PDMS-PDMS-PEG 在宏观和微观结构、疏水性和 O157:H7 87-23 连接方面很好地复制了其天然对应物。将天然表皮蜡沉积到人造叶上后，叶表面润湿能力下降，而O157:H7 87-23表面保留能力增加。与天然叶子类似，提供生菜裂解物或细菌生长培养基的人造叶子支持 O157:H7 87-23 的生长和存活。在卫生测试中，人造生菜叶在消毒效率方面也表现出与天然叶子相似的模式。总体而言，本研究展示了双面 PDMS-PDMS-PEG 叶子的微加工和应用，作为未来绿叶食品安全研究的可复制和可控平台。