Protein Adsorption Measurements on Low Fouling and Ultralow Fouling Surfaces: A Critical Comparison of Surface Characterization Techniques

Abstract Ultralow protein fouling behavior is a common target for new high-performance materials. Ultralow fouling is often defined based on the amount of irreversibly adsorbed protein ( Statement of significance The design of ultralow fouling surfaces is often optimized based on a single surface-averaging technique measuring the amount of irreversibly adsorbed protein. This work provides a critical comparison of alternative techniques for evaluating protein adsorption on low fouling and ultralow fouling surfaces, and demonstrates how additional information about the dynamics of protein-surface interactions at the interface can be obtained by application of single-molecule microscopy. This approach could be used to better elucidate mechanisms of protein resistance and design principles for advanced ultralow fouling materials.