Synthetic micro-scale habitats emulating microbial system function

Summary form only given. Micro-scale habitat conditions control the composition and function of microbial communities. For example, the paunch of the eastern subterranean termite has a physical volume of just one microliter, yet is home to a complex community of bacteria, protists, archaea and fungi. Within the termite gut, steep gradients provide spatially-distinct microniches, while close proximity allows a metabolically diverse community to collaboratively convert a lignocellulosic feedstock into acetate and other useful products. Likewise, the function of the soil system emerges from the interactions of diverse microbes with various micro-structured habitats. Conventional bioengineering approaches cannot systematically replicate micro-scale features of real microbial habitats, and as a result, may fail to capture the complex or emergent properties of microbe-habitat systems. The Shor lab is developing synthetic micro-scale habitats with micro-scale physical structures, chemical gradients, and patchy microbial distributions characteristic of real microbe-habitat systems. Our synthetic micro-scale habitats are designed to implement advanced sensing, electro-chemical actuators, and molecular tools. We have shown microbially-secreted extracellular polymeric substances can regulate retention of soil moisture, but only in micro-structured settings. We have used microdevices with synthetic pore structures to accelerate the development of sustainable food production technology. Moving forward, there is a tremendous potential for engineered bio-physical systems to broaden the scope and accelerate the pace of bioengineering discovery. Applications include sustainable food and fuel production and better approaches to safeguard the environment and human health.