Macroporous Silicone Chips for Decoding Microbial Dark Matter in Environmental Microbiomes.

ABSTRACT: Natural evolution has produced an almost infinite variety of microorganisms that can colonize almost any conceivable habitat. Since the vast majority of these microbial consortia are still unknown, there is a great need to elucidate this "microbial dark matter" (MDM) to enable exploitation in biotechnology. We report the fabrication and application of a novel device that integrates a matrix of macroporous elastomeric silicone foam (MESIF) into an easily fabricated and scalable chip design that can be used for decoding MDM in environmental microbiomes. Technical validation, performed with the model organism Escherichia coli expressing a fluorescent protein, showed that this low-cost, bioinert, and widely modifiable chip is rapidly colonized by microorganisms. The biological potential

SUBMITTER: Zoheir AE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9650684 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature