IDBR: TYPE A Nano-Constriction Devices for Isolation and Cultivation of Environmental Microbes

IDBR：用于环境微生物分离和培养的 A 型纳米收缩装置

• 批准号: 1353853
• 负责人: Edgar Goluch
• 金额: $ 77.05万
• 依托单位: Northeastern University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-05-15 至 2018-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1353853&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: IDBR; TYPE; Nano; Constriction; Devices

An award is made to Northeastern University to develop a device whose purpose is to automatically isolate and cultivate new microbial species from the environment using recent advances in micro/nano-fabrication. Most bioactive compounds discovered to date have come from microbial sources. Yet over 99% of microbial biodiversity remains uncultivated using conventional laboratory approaches, and this pool is an enormous untapped source for bio-prospecting. The proposed work attempts to cultivate microbes in their own habitat, and employs an automated, high-throughput method. Applied at an appropriate scale, this method may be transformative for generating novel microbial biodiversity for industrial, ecological, and biomedical applications. This research will foster collaborations between engineers and biologists and prepare undergraduate and graduate students for dynamic multidisciplinary work environments. Hands on training in the laboratory will be provided for high school science teachers from Boston inner city schools to expose them to this and other emerging technologies. The overarching goal of this project is to create a novel platform technology to cultivate microbial species that have remained elusive in traditional isolation and cultivation methods. The technique being developed is a radical departure from traditional methodologies, cultivating microorganisms will be cultivated in situ, which will automatically provide cells with the required growth factors. The key feature of the technology is a growth chamber with a single sub-micrometer opening to the outside environment. The effectiveness of this novel device will be demonstrated by isolating novel strains and species from marine and soil habitats using a set of prototype devices. The developed devices will be disseminated to the community by organizing and hosting a new conference on cultivating microorganisms at Northeastern University. The conference attendees will be trained to use the new devices and provided with prototype devices to test. The technology will be presented at microbiology meetings that potential users attend. A website will be created that will list the new species that are cultivated using this technology and will allow the scientific community to acquire the species for further investigations. This award is being made jointly by two Programs- (1) Instrument Development for Biological Research, in the Division of Biological Infrastructure (Biological Sciences Directorate), and (2) Biotechnology, Biochemical and Biomass Engineering, in the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems (Engineering Directorate).

东北大学获得了一项奖项，用于开发一种设备，其目的是利用微/纳米制造的最新进展，从环境中自动分离和培养新的微生物物种。迄今为止发现的大多数生物活性化合物都来自微生物。然而，超过 99% 的微生物生物多样性仍未使用传统实验室方法进行培养，而这个池是生物勘探的一个巨大的未开发资源。拟议的工作尝试在微生物自己的栖息地培养微生物，并采用自动化、高通量的方法。在适当的规模上应用，该方法可能会为工业、生态和生物医学应用产生新型微生物多样性带来变革。这项研究将促进工程师和生物学家之间的合作，并为本科生和研究生适应动态的多学科工作环境做好准备。将为波士顿内城区学校的高中科学教师提供实验室实践培训，让他们接触这一技术和其他新兴技术。该项目的总体目标是创建一种新颖的平台技术来培养在传统分离和培养方法中仍然难以捉摸的微生物物种。正在开发的技术与传统方法完全不同，培养微生物将在原位培养，这将自动为细胞提供所需的生长因子。该技术的主要特点是生长室具有通向外部环境的单个亚微米开口。该新型装置的有效性将通过使用一组原型装置从海洋和土壤栖息地分离新菌株和物种来证明。所开发的设备将通过在东北大学组织和主办新的微生物培养会议来向社区传播。与会者将接受新设备使用培训，并提供原型设备进行测试。该技术将在潜在用户参加的微生物学会议上展示。将创建一个网站，列出使用该技术培育的新物种，并允许科学界获取该物种以进行进一步研究。该奖项由两个项目联合颁发 - (1) 生物基础设施部门（生物科学理事会）的生物研究仪器开发，以及 (2) 化学、生物工程部门的生物技术、生物化学和生物质工程，环境和运输系统（工程局）。