Transcriptome analysis of a microbial coculture in which the cell populations are separated by a membrane

The microbial coculture of multiple cell populations is used to study community evolution and for bioengineering applications. The cells in coculture undergo dynamic changes because of cell-cell and cell-environment interactions. Transcriptome analysis allows us to study the molecular basis of these changes in cell physiology. For transcriptome analysis, it is essential that the cell populations in the coculture are harvested separately. Here, we describe a method for transcriptome analysis of a microbial coculture in which two different cell populations are separated by a porous membrane.