Supplemental Data

Identification of Polystyrene (PS)-Binding Sequences Polymer-binding sequences were identified using a phage display library developed from phage type M13. The library displayed random peptide sequences on its pIII coat proteins of the format X6YX6 or X6PX6, where X represents one of the twenty naturally occurring amino acids. For the panning procedure, wells of a native polystyrene plate (CoStar, Corning USA) were blocked with 5% nonfat milk in PBS-T buffer for 1 hour, followed by five washes with PBS-T, all at room temperature. The phage library of 10 11 pfu in 100 μL of PBS was mixed with 900 μL of 5% non-fat milk in microcentrifuge tubes for one hour prior to use in order to block any phage that bind non-fat milk. Next, the phage solutions were added to the polystyrene wells. After incubation for one hour with the polymer surface, unbound phage were removed by flicking and the plate was washed an additional five times with PBS-T buffer. Phage that had an affinity to PS were then amplified with 300 μL of exponential phase TG-1 Escherichia coli (e-coli) bacterial cells. This amplified population then served as input for the next round of selection. The procedure for the ensuing two rounds remained the same, except that the phage-polymer incubation time was decreased to twenty minutes and the washing of unbound phage was increased to ten times. Amplified phage were titered after each round.