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).

东北大学获奖开发一种设备，其目的是利用微/纳米制造的最新进展，自动从环境中分离和培养新的微生物物种。到目前为止，发现的大多数生物活性化合物都来自微生物。然而，99%以上的微生物生物多样性仍然没有用传统的实验室方法培养，这个水池是一个巨大的未开发的生物勘探来源。这项拟议的工作试图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，这种方法可能会对工业、生态和生物医学应用产生新的微生物生物多样性产生革命性的影响。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为动态的多学科工作环境做准备。波士顿市中心学校的高中科学教师将在实验室接受实践培训，让他们接触到这项技术和其他新兴技术。该项目的首要目标是创造一种新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截然不同，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。这项技术的关键特征是生长室，与外部环境有一个单一的亚微米开口。这种新装置的有效性将通过使用一套原型装置从海洋和土壤生境中分离出新的菌株和物种来证明。开发的设备将通过在东北大学组织和主办一次关于培养微生物的新会议向社区传播。会议与会者将接受使用新设备的培训，并提供原型设备进行测试。这项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，列出使用这种技术培育的新物种，并允许科学界获取这些物种以进行进一步研究。该奖项由两个项目联合颁发-(1)生物基础设施司(生物科学局)的生物研究仪器开发，以及(2)化学、生物工程、环境和运输系统司(工程局)的生物技术、生化和生物质工程。