Quantification of Growth and Nutrient Consumption of Bacterial and Fungal Cultures in Microfluidic Microhabitat Models
- Author: mycolabadmin
- 2023-12-15
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Summary
This research presents a detailed method for studying how bacteria and fungi grow and consume nutrients in tiny, controlled environments created using microfluidic technology. The study helps us understand how microorganisms behave in different spatial structures, similar to their natural habitats.
Impacts on everyday life:
• Helps develop better strategies for controlling bacterial growth in medical and industrial settings
• Improves understanding of how soil microorganisms function, benefiting agriculture
• Advances technology for studying microbial behavior, leading to better antimicrobial treatments
• Contributes to development of more effective bioremediation strategies
• Provides insights for designing better microbial-based industrial processes
Background
Understanding microbial behavior in natural environments requires consideration of their microenvironment. Traditional methods often fail to capture the complex spatial dynamics of microbial growth and nutrient consumption in structured habitats.
Objective
To present a detailed protocol for quantifying biomass and nutrient degradation of bacterial (Pseudomonas putida) and fungal (Coprinopsis cinerea) cultures in microfluidic systems. The protocol aims to demonstrate methods for mask design, fabrication, master printing, polydimethylsiloxane chip fabrication, and chip inoculation and imaging using fluorescence microscopy.
Results
The protocol successfully enabled quantification of microbial growth and nutrient consumption in different microhabitat designs. For P. putida, higher growth and nutrient consumption were observed in complex habitats, attributed to reduced intraspecific competition. Fungi showed reduced growth in complex environments due to interference with their exploratory strategy.
Conclusion
The protocol provides a robust method for studying microbial growth and nutrient consumption in controlled microenvironments. The approach allows for detailed analysis of how spatial structure affects microbial behavior and interactions, though limitations exist regarding design dimensions and imaging constraints.
- Published in:STAR Protocols,
- Study Type:Laboratory Protocol,
- Source: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102784