Construction and Validation of A Low-cost, Small-scale, Multiplex Continuous Culturing System for Microorganisms

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Biotechnology
• Evolutionary Biology

Background:

• Continuous culture systems are essential for studying microbial dynamics.
• Existing systems can be expensive, complex, or space-intensive.
• There is a need for accessible, high-throughput tools for microbial research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the construction and validation of a simple, low-cost, small-scale, multiplex chemostat system.
• To provide a platform for parallel, long-term studies of microbial evolution and adaptation.
• To offer an accessible, reliable, and easy-to-use tool for researchers.

Main Methods:

• Construction of a multiplex chemostat system with a 25 ml working volume.
• Parallel operation of 8 chemostats by a single user.
• Validation using de novo resistance generation against a novel antimicrobial and a common antibiotic.

Main Results:

• The system enables parallel, long-term microbial cultivation.
• It facilitates the study of microbial adaptation to antimicrobial agents and pollutants.
• Successful generation of de novo resistance in a model organism was demonstrated.

Conclusions:

• The DIY chemostat system is a cost-effective and accessible tool for microbial research.
• It can be utilized to study antibiotic resistance mechanisms and develop new therapies.
• This system addresses the need for high-throughput, reliable, and user-friendly microbial culture platforms.