The suitability of a membrane diffusion growth chamber for studying bacterial interaction

Rates of diffusion of nutrients and metabolites through 0.1 micron pore diameter polycarbonate membranes are so low that the use of membrane-separated systems to study bacterial interaction seems to have little application. Effective nutrient availability throughout the system is very dependent on membrane area/medium volume ratio. An attempt to demonstrate a known interaction in the membrane diffusion chamber was not successful.