Parallel mini-bioreactor system boosting human microbial community and phage-biology and -biotechnology research

Bioreactors are excellent instruments to study microbial systems under controlled dynamic conditions. Besides control of process parameters (e.g. T, pH, dissolved oxygen), also the metabolic state of cultures can be controlled by applying particular operational modes (e.g., chemostats). Parallel bioreactor systems enable more testing and small-scale setups reduce experimental costs significantly. Furthermore, the availability of several vessels to couple (transfer between) different cultures. The parallel mini-bioreactor systems acquired in this project will be equipped with four mini-bioreactors vessels (60-250mL working volume) featuring accurate standard monitoring and control options. This setup will be used in ongoing and new research lines: (i) high resolution profiling and metabolic modelling of defined oral communities, (ii) study of bacteriophage biology and biotech in specialized bioreactor experiments, and (iii) study of gut microbial dynamics by analysing defined communities in bioreactors.

Keywords:Parallel mini-bioreactor system, Human oral microbial community analysis, Human gut microbial community analysis, Phage biology and biotechnology

Disciplines:(Bio)chemical reactors, Biological system engineering not elsewhere classified, Systems biology not elsewhere classified, Community ecology, Industrial microbiology