Characterizing Interspecies Interactions in Electron Transfer-Proficient Bacterial Consortia by Controlling Organization
Abstract
Microbial communities play essential roles in the environments they inhabit. They cycle nutrients in ecosystems and are crucial for metabolism in higher organisms. The organization of cellular constituents in these consortia is critical for their activity. Yet, our ability to understand microbial community structure-function relationships has been prevented by a dearth of methods to control the organization of cells. Here, DNA hybridization will be used as ÒVelcroÓ to pattern cells and precisely control the organization of multiple species of microbes. This technology will be used to evaluate the impact of their spacing on biofilm formation and metabolism. For the first time, the impact of microbial organization on essential cellular communities will be elucidated to facilitate the design of engineered communities for complex bioproduction, clean energy generation, and bioremediation. A co-culture of two prevalent electroactive microbes (Shewanella oneidensis and Geobacter sulfurreducens) will be studied. Co-cultures of these species generate increased current compared to the isolated species, but this observation remains unexplained. By controlling their arrangement, the impact of spatial organization on nutrient sharing and extracellular electron transfer can be determined. Specifically, during the project period, 1) two microbial species will be patterned in two and three dimensions, and the specificity of patterning will be validated; 2) the impact of spatial organization on a key mode of respiration in anaerobic microbes will be investigated; and 3) the influence of spacing on metabolic activity and biofilm morphology will be determined. Overall, the proposed work is distinguished by the unique approach to control spatial organization of multiple species, and will address a critical gap in our understanding of how such spacing impacts activity in microbial communities. These studies will provide an important framework for investigating and engineering biofilms, enabling for the first time the fundamental understanding of these mysterious communities and harnessing of their diverse capabilities. The ability to harness and program interspecies consortia represents the next frontier in biotechnology; long-term, by extending these initial studies to additional important communities such as the gut microbiome, we can better understand the role of microbial communities in human health and develop technologies for bioproduction and energy generation in extreme environments.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jun 30, 2022
- Source ID
- W911NF2210106
Entities
People
- Ariel Furst
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- United States Army