An Ultra-high Throughput Microfluidic System for 3-D Assembly of Microbial Communities
Abstract
It is well established that microorganisms exist in robust communities in natural environments. However, how different members of a community assemble, interact with each other, and function cooperatively in natural environments is not well understood. Since many naturally occurring microrganisms are difficult to culture in isolation or in the laboratory, understanding the design principles underlying the formation and stable sustenance of microbial communities requires the development of technologies that can be used to study these interactions. The proposed research will directly address these shortcomings by developing strategies for the three-dimensional (3D) assembly of microbial communities in a format that allows for exquisite control over community composition and structure in a massively parallel fashion. This objective will be achieved through pursuit of the following aims: Develop a cell-encapsulated gel droplet/slab platform to form 3D microbial communities; Develop a mathematical model to describe microbial community assembly; and utilize the mathematical model for rational assembly of microbial communities. The ability to form diverse microbial communities with specified compositions of different species, and defined spatial distribution and to analyze their composition and function in a high throughput manner, will enable a foundational platform technology for fundamental studies on principles and mechanisms underlying the formation of microbial communities. In addition, this platform will enable engineering designer microbial communities for specific applications. The proposed microfluidic 3D cell-community technology will also impact the development of analytical methods and techniques for interrogating diverse microbial communities. Since engineering designer communities can achieve biosynthetic functionalities that cannot be carried out by a single species, the exquisite spatial control afforded by this platform will advance applications of microbial processes in areas of critical national need, including specialty chemical and biofuel production, bioremediation, therapeutic manufacturing, and threat detection. Taken together, the proposed work has the potential to significantly advance fundamental understanding of microbial community formation, and set the stage for engineering microbial communities for beneficial applications. The U.S. Department of Defense has significant interest in application areas such as bioremediation of contaminated water and soil commonly found in military environments and on-demand bioproduction of diverse products (e.g., biofuels from different carbon/ nitrogen sources, biotherapeutic molecules in remote locations, biopolymers for 3D printing). Microbial consortia have been proposed as a possible solution for all these applications and hence, completion of the proposed objectives can have a significant impact on these priority areas. In addition, microbial communities have been proposed to underlie the formation of biofilms and antimicrobial-resistant infections of battlefield wounds. Understanding mechanisms involved in formation of biofilm communities can also impact development of strategies to combat problems where the formation of biofilm communities is prevalent (e.g., open wound infections, microbial corrosion). In summary, the proposed work can significantly enhance not only the Army s mission but also a wide variety of military and civilian applications.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 20, 2019
- Source ID
- W911NF1910290
Entities
People
- Arum Han
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Texas Engineering Experiment Station
- United States Army