CO-INCUBATING CONFINED MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES

• US 20100317085A1
• Filed: 07/28/2008
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: University of Chicago
• Inventors: Boedicker, James Q., Kim, Hyun Jung, Ismagilov, Rustem F.
• Granted Patent: US 9,090,885 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/252.4
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 1/14 with means providing thin layers or with multi-level trays
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/34 Internal compartments or partitions
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 25/01 Drops
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 35/08 Chemical, biochemical or biological means, e.g. plasma jet, co-culture
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/20 Bacteria; Culture media therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/38 Chemical stimulation of growth or activity by addition of chemical compounds which are not essential growth factors; Stimulation of growth by removal of a chemical compound C12N1/34 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 11/04 entrapped within the carrier, e.g. gel or hollow fibres
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 39/00 Processes involving microorganisms of different genera in the same process, simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/18 Testing for antimicrobial activity of a material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/542 with steric inhibition or signal modification, e.g. fluorescent quenching
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54313 the carrier being characterised by its particulate form

Abstract

This invention provides devices and methods that enable co-incubation of microorganisms. Also provided are methods of making such devices for co-incubation of microorganisms, and various applications of such devices.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

(1) providing a device comprising a first compartment and a second compartment, wherein the first and second compartments are physically separated by a distance x;

(2) placing a first microorganism in the first compartment;

(3) placing a second microorganism in the second compartment; and

(4) co-incubating the microorganisms so that the first microorganism performs a function differently than it would if the second organism was absent.

21. The method or system of any one of claims 1, 3, and 14, where distance x is allows for exchange of molecules between the first and second microorganisms.

2. (canceled)

3. A method, comprising:

providing a droplet or particle comprising a first area with a first microorganism and a second area with a second microorganism, wherein the first and second areas are separated by a distance x and wherein the first and second microorganism are different; and

co-incubating the microorganisms in the droplet or particle so that the first microorganism performs a function differently than it would if the second organism was absent.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein during the co-incubating step, the first microorganism produces an incubation product that it otherwise would not produce when the second microorganism is absent.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein during the co-incubating step, the first microorganism does not produce an incubation product that it otherwise would produce when the second microorganism is absent.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein during the co-incubating step, the first microorganism degrades or removes an external component in an amount that differs from what it would otherwise degrade when the second microorganism is absent.

6-10. -10. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

14. A system, comprising:

a droplet or a particle with a first and second area, wherein the first area contains a first microorganism and the second area contains a second microorganism, and wherein the areas are separated by a distance x, and wherein the microorganisms are unable to comingle in the droplet or particle.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a barrier between the areas.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the distance x is between about 50 μ

m and about 500 μ

m.

17. The system of any one of claims 14-16, wherein the droplet or particle is a bead or a gel.

18. The system of any one of claims 14-15, which is capable of being ingested by a patient.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein at least one microorganism produces a therapeutic substance in the presence, but not absence, of at least another microorganism.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein at least one microorganism degrades a undesirable substance in the intestinal tract of the patient in the presence, but not absence, of at least another microorganism.

22-27. -27. (canceled)