In Situ Chemotaxis Assay to Examine Microbial Behavior in Aquatic Ecosystems

Estelle  E. Clerc; Jean-Baptiste Raina; Bennett  S. Lambert; Justin Seymour; Roman Stocker

doi:10.3791/61062

In Situ Chemotaxis Assay to Examine Microbial Behavior in Aquatic Ecosystems

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JoVE Journal Environment

In Situ Chemotaxis Assay to Examine Microbial Behavior in Aquatic Ecosystems

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07:23 min

May 5, 2020

DOI: 10.3791/61062-v

Estelle E. Clerc¹, Jean-Baptiste Raina², Bennett S. Lambert³, Justin Seymour², Roman Stocker¹

¹Institute of Environmental Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering,ETH Zürich, ²Climate Change Cluster,University of Technology Sydney, ³School of Oceanography,University of Washington

Overview

This article presents a protocol for an in situ chemotaxis assay (ISCA), a microfluidic device designed to study microbial behavior in their natural environments. The method allows for robust quantification of microbial chemotaxis and enhances our understanding of microbial roles in various liquid environments.

Key Study Components

Area of Science

Microbial behavior
Chemotaxis
Microfluidics

Background

The ISCA is a flexible and user-friendly device.
It enables the study of microorganisms in their home habitat.
Understanding microbial behavior is crucial for ecological and metabolic studies.
The protocol includes preparation of chemoattractants and deployment in various environments.

Purpose of Study

To quantify microbial chemotaxis in situ.
To isolate microorganisms for further analysis.
To understand the metabolic potential of microbes in their environments.

Methods Used

Preparation of sterile medium and chemoattractant solutions.
Filtration of solutions to remove contaminants.
Deployment of the ISCA in laboratory and field settings.
Quantification of microbial responses to chemoattractants.

Main Results

Successful quantification of microbial chemotaxis.
Isolation of microorganisms for metabolic studies.
Insights gained into microbial behavior in liquid environments.
Demonstration of the protocol's effectiveness in various settings.

Conclusions

The ISCA provides a novel approach to studying microbial behavior.
This method enhances our understanding of microbial roles in ecosystems.
Future applications may include broader ecological and metabolic studies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ISCA?

The ISCA is an in situ chemotaxis assay that allows for the study of microbial behavior in their natural environments.

How does the ISCA work?

It uses a microfluidic device to quantify microbial responses to chemoattractants directly in liquid environments.

What are the key components of the protocol?

Key components include preparation of sterile media, chemoattractants, and deployment techniques in various settings.

Who demonstrated the procedure?

Estelle Clerc, a PhD student, demonstrated the procedure for both laboratory and field applications.

What insights can be gained from using the ISCA?

The ISCA provides insights into microbial behaviors and their ecological roles, enhancing our understanding of their metabolic potential.

Presented here is the protocol for an in situ chemotaxis assay, a recently developed microfluidic device that enables studies of microbial behavior directly in the environment.

Our protocol enables us to robustly quantify microbial chemotaxis directly in their home habitat. And thereby we can isolate microorganisms and we can better quantify and understand the metabolic potential. The in situ chemotaxis assay, or ISCA in short, is a flexible, user-friendly, and simple device that allows new insight into microbial behaviors and therefore the role and function of microorganisms in any environment that has a liquid phase.

Demonstrating the procedure for deployment in both the laboratory and in the field is Estelle Clerc, who is currently a PhD student in my research group. Before preparing the chemoattractant, filter the medium with a 0.2 micrometer filter, and autoclave the filtered solution. Next, prepare a 10 millimolar solution of chemoattractant in 1 milliliter of the sterile medium, and filter the chemoattractant solution with a 0.2 micrometer syringe filter to remove any particles and potential contaminants.

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