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Development of a microfluidic sampling and imaging device for microbial bioreactors

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Project Overview

Recently, our client’s lab demonstrated real-time optogenetic feedback control of gene expression in yeast cells in a chemostat (Melendez, et al 2014). A chemostat is a bioreactor in which fresh nutrient-limited medium is continuously added and cell culture is continuously removed to keep the culture volume constant. The ability to accurately control a specific protein at a precise concentration will allow researchers to accurately measure the relationship between protein concentration and cell biological outputs including transcription and metabolism. Additionally, the ability to perturb specific proteins can be used for biological network identification. Finally, the ability to do real-time feedback control of protein concentration opens up the possibility of externally controlling synthetic and natural networks.

The proposed design will be a sampling device that will take a small volume of cells from the bioreactor, trap the cells in a microfluidic device on a microscope, allow for imaging of the cells, and then move the cells to waste or back into the bioreactor. Images of the cells will need to be rapidly processed for features such as cell size and localization of fluorescence reporters.

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Team members from left to right: Alexander Letourneau, Emily Yachinich, Jehad Al-Ramahi, Jack Kegel, and Jason Brunkow
Team members from left to right: Alexander Letourneau, Emily Yachinich, Jehad Al-Ramahi, Jack Kegel, and Jason Brunkow

Contact Information

Team Members

  • Alexander Letourneau - Team Leader
  • Jehad Al-Ramahi - Communicator
  • Jason Brunkow - BSAC
  • Emily Yachinich - BWIG
  • John Kegel - BPAG

Advisor and Client

  • Mitchell Tyler - Advisor
  • Prof. Megan McClean - Client

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