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Patterning of Microorganisms and Microparticles through Sequential Capillarity-assisted Assembly
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Pattern Engineering of Living Bacterial Colonies Using Meniscus-Driven Fluidic Channels.

Vasily Kantsler1,2, Elena Ontañón-McDonald3, Cansu Kuey3

  • 1Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.

ACS Synthetic Biology
|June 4, 2020
PubMed
Summary

Scientists developed MeniFluidics, an easy technique for precise bacterial patterning. This method engineers living biomaterials with controlled spatial organization for advanced synthetic biology applications.

Keywords:
biofilmscell biophysicsliving materialspattern engineeringsoft matterswarming

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Area of Science:

  • Synthetic biology
  • Biomaterials science
  • Microfluidics

Background:

  • Developing adaptive, sustainable, and dynamic biomaterials is a key goal in synthetic biology.
  • Engineering spatially organized bacterial communities offers a promising route to creating novel biomaterials.
  • Current methods for precise, robust, and low-barrier bacterial patterning remain a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present an easily implementable technique for patterning live bacterial populations.
  • To demonstrate the capability of this technique for creating multiscale bacterial patterns.
  • To explore the potential of this method for advancing living materials and microbial interaction research.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a controlled meniscus-driven fluidics system named MeniFluidics.
  • Utilized faster bacterial spreading in liquid channels for controlled patterning.
  • Applied MeniFluidics to pattern fluorescently labeled *Bacillus subtilis* strains.

Main Results:

  • Achieved multiscale patterning of bacterial biofilm colonies and swarms with submillimeter resolution.
  • Demonstrated controlled spatial and temporal organization of bacterial colonies.
  • Created converged patterns and dynamic vortex patterns in confined bacterial swarms.

Conclusions:

  • MeniFluidics provides a robust, accurate, and low-technical-barrier tool for bacterial patterning.
  • This technique facilitates the advancement and invention of new living materials.
  • Offers a valuable platform for fundamental research into microbial ecological, evolutionary, and physical interactions.