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Visualization of Biofilm Formation in Candida albicans Using an Automated Microfluidic Device

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Published on: December 14, 2017

A microfluidic device for high throughput bacterial biofilm studies.

Jeongyun Kim¹, Manjunath Hegde, Sun Ho Kim

¹Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-3122, USA.

|February 10, 2012

Summary

A novel microfluidic flow cell (μFC) enables precise control over bacterial biofilm development. This tool allows researchers to study how chemical signals influence biofilm formation, crucial for understanding infections.

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Area of Science:

Microbiology
Biotechnology
Bioengineering

Background:

Bacteria commonly form biofilms, complex communities crucial for their survival and pathogenicity.
Understanding how chemical signals regulate biofilm structure and development is vital for controlling bacterial infections.
Existing methods for studying biofilms are often low-throughput and lack precise spatial and temporal control.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a microfluidic flow cell (μFC) device for high-resolution investigation of bacterial biofilm formation.
To enable the study of biofilm development under controlled exposure to varying concentrations of soluble chemical signals.
To assess the impact of indole-like signals on pathogenic *E. coli* biofilm formation.

Main Methods:

Development of a two-layer, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based microfluidic flow cell (μFC) with eight independent microchambers.

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Integration of a diffusive mixing-based concentration gradient generator to create eight distinct signal concentrations.

Utilization of pneumatic valves and a separate cell seeding port for precise control and isolation of microchambers.

Main Results:

The μFC device successfully generated concentration gradients of indole-like signals (7-hydroxyindole and isatin).
The device allowed for the study of pathogenic *E. coli* biofilm formation in response to individual and combined signals.
The μFC demonstrated robust performance under continuous, batch, and semi-batch culture conditions.

Conclusions:

The developed μFC provides a powerful, high-throughput platform for studying bacterial community development and biofilm formation.
This technology facilitates a fundamental understanding of bacterial attachment and the role of chemical signals in infections.
The μFC is valuable for identifying chemical compounds that can inhibit or promote biofilm formation.