SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MICROCOLONY GROWTH AND MICROBIAL CELL CHARACTERIZATION

• Main Authors: MAASKANT, ROBERT, MANKU, SUKHDEV, LEONARD, STEPHEN WESLEY, YASOTHARAN, SANJESH, PARMAR, VILCY, KHINE, AYE AYE, ASADISHEKARI, MARYAM, KHIMCHENKO, ANNA, TALEBPOUR, SAMAD, ALAVIE, TINO, SAMIEI, ALALEH
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 10.02.2022
• Subjects: BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL ORENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES; ENZYMOLOGY; MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEICACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; SPIRITS; VINEGAR; WINE

An integrated fluidic device is employed to perform microbial cell separation, in situ microcolony growth, and optional identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. While the integrated fluidic device is maintained in a closed state, microbial cell separation is performed to provide a microbial cell suspension that is contacted with a solid phase growth medium. A liquid component of the suspension is removed, thereby retaining microbial cells on the growth medium for incubation, growth, and subsequent harvesting and characterization. In some embodiments, antimicrobial susceptibility testing is performed by contacting growth media with a solid support having an antimicrobial agent provided thereon, such that the antimicrobial agent diffuses into a subregion of the growth medium that is accessible through an aperture surrounded, at least in part, by the solid support. Microbial cells retained on the surface of the subregion may be assessed for growth or inhibition in the presence of the antimicrobial agent.