Micro-Technologies for Assessing Microbial Dynamics in Controlled Environments
With recent advances in microfabrication technologies, the miniaturization of traditional culturing techniques has provided ideal methods for interrogating microbial communities in a confined and finely controlled environment. Micro-technologies offer high-throughput screening and analysis, reduced...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-01-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.745835/full |
| _version_ | 1818950277746655232 |
|---|---|
| author | Shanna-Leigh Davidson Tagbo H. R. Niepa Tagbo H. R. Niepa Tagbo H. R. Niepa Tagbo H. R. Niepa Tagbo H. R. Niepa Tagbo H. R. Niepa |
| author_facet | Shanna-Leigh Davidson Tagbo H. R. Niepa Tagbo H. R. Niepa Tagbo H. R. Niepa Tagbo H. R. Niepa Tagbo H. R. Niepa Tagbo H. R. Niepa |
| author_sort | Shanna-Leigh Davidson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | With recent advances in microfabrication technologies, the miniaturization of traditional culturing techniques has provided ideal methods for interrogating microbial communities in a confined and finely controlled environment. Micro-technologies offer high-throughput screening and analysis, reduced experimental time and resources, and have low footprint. More importantly, they provide access to culturing microbes in situ in their natural environments and similarly, offer optical access to real-time dynamics under a microscope. Utilizing micro-technologies for the discovery, isolation and cultivation of “unculturable” species will propel many fields forward; drug discovery, point-of-care diagnostics, and fundamental studies in microbial community behaviors rely on the exploration of novel metabolic pathways. However, micro-technologies are still largely proof-of-concept, and scalability and commercialization of micro-technologies will require increased accessibility to expensive equipment and resources, as well as simpler designs for usability. Here, we discuss three different miniaturized culturing practices; including microarrays, micromachined devices, and microfluidics; advancements to the field, and perceived challenges. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T09:16:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bb26ba91ee3e44ec9096b9055abdb659 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-302X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T09:16:02Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-bb26ba91ee3e44ec9096b9055abdb6592022-12-21T19:45:25ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2022-01-011210.3389/fmicb.2021.745835745835Micro-Technologies for Assessing Microbial Dynamics in Controlled EnvironmentsShanna-Leigh Davidson0Tagbo H. R. Niepa1Tagbo H. R. Niepa2Tagbo H. R. Niepa3Tagbo H. R. Niepa4Tagbo H. R. Niepa5Tagbo H. R. Niepa6Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United StatesDepartment of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United StatesDepartment of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United StatesDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United StatesDepartment of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United StatesCenter for Medicine and the Microbiome, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United StatesThe McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United StatesWith recent advances in microfabrication technologies, the miniaturization of traditional culturing techniques has provided ideal methods for interrogating microbial communities in a confined and finely controlled environment. Micro-technologies offer high-throughput screening and analysis, reduced experimental time and resources, and have low footprint. More importantly, they provide access to culturing microbes in situ in their natural environments and similarly, offer optical access to real-time dynamics under a microscope. Utilizing micro-technologies for the discovery, isolation and cultivation of “unculturable” species will propel many fields forward; drug discovery, point-of-care diagnostics, and fundamental studies in microbial community behaviors rely on the exploration of novel metabolic pathways. However, micro-technologies are still largely proof-of-concept, and scalability and commercialization of micro-technologies will require increased accessibility to expensive equipment and resources, as well as simpler designs for usability. Here, we discuss three different miniaturized culturing practices; including microarrays, micromachined devices, and microfluidics; advancements to the field, and perceived challenges.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.745835/fullmicrofluidicsnanoculturesmicroarraysunculturable microbesmicromachined devices |
| spellingShingle | Shanna-Leigh Davidson Tagbo H. R. Niepa Tagbo H. R. Niepa Tagbo H. R. Niepa Tagbo H. R. Niepa Tagbo H. R. Niepa Tagbo H. R. Niepa Micro-Technologies for Assessing Microbial Dynamics in Controlled Environments Frontiers in Microbiology microfluidics nanocultures microarrays unculturable microbes micromachined devices |
| title | Micro-Technologies for Assessing Microbial Dynamics in Controlled Environments |
| title_full | Micro-Technologies for Assessing Microbial Dynamics in Controlled Environments |
| title_fullStr | Micro-Technologies for Assessing Microbial Dynamics in Controlled Environments |
| title_full_unstemmed | Micro-Technologies for Assessing Microbial Dynamics in Controlled Environments |
| title_short | Micro-Technologies for Assessing Microbial Dynamics in Controlled Environments |
| title_sort | micro technologies for assessing microbial dynamics in controlled environments |
| topic | microfluidics nanocultures microarrays unculturable microbes micromachined devices |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.745835/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT shannaleighdavidson microtechnologiesforassessingmicrobialdynamicsincontrolledenvironments AT tagbohrniepa microtechnologiesforassessingmicrobialdynamicsincontrolledenvironments AT tagbohrniepa microtechnologiesforassessingmicrobialdynamicsincontrolledenvironments AT tagbohrniepa microtechnologiesforassessingmicrobialdynamicsincontrolledenvironments AT tagbohrniepa microtechnologiesforassessingmicrobialdynamicsincontrolledenvironments AT tagbohrniepa microtechnologiesforassessingmicrobialdynamicsincontrolledenvironments AT tagbohrniepa microtechnologiesforassessingmicrobialdynamicsincontrolledenvironments |