Monitoring Bacterial Growth in Distinct Media Formulations with an Automated Microbioreactor

Take the culture of a genetically modified bacterium engineered to harbor a plasmid that expresses a secretory fluorescent protein and confers antibiotic resistance.

Inoculate it into a medium containing the antibiotic and incubate with shaking to promote bacterial growth.

The antibiotic ensures that only cells retaining the plasmid can proliferate.

Once the culture reaches the desired density, transfer it to an automated liquid-handling system.

A deep-well plate contains varying concentrations of essential nutrients, which are dispensed into a microtiter plate to create distinct media formulations.

Inoculate each well of the plate with the bacterial culture.

Seal the plate and place it into a microbioreactor, which maintains uniform temperature and aeration.

The different formulations lead to variations in bacterial growth and fluorescent protein secretion.

An optical sensor in the device measures cell density and fluorescence, enabling comparison of bacterial growth and fluorescent protein production across the media formulations.

Sterilize deep well plates for stock solution storage on a work table by wiping the plates with 70 percent ethanol and subsequently drying them in a laminar flo