1
|
Partipilo G, Bowman EK, Palmer EJ, Gao Y, Ridley RS, Alper HS, Keitz BK. Single-Cell Phenotyping of Extracellular Electron Transfer via Microdroplet Encapsulation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.13.598847. [PMID: 38915652 PMCID: PMC11195189 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.13.598847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Electroactive organisms contribute to metal cycling, pollutant removal, and other redox-driven environmental processes. Studying this phenomenon in high-throughput is challenging since extracellular reduction cannot easily be traced back to its cell of origin within a mixed population. Here, we describe the development of a microdroplet emulsion system to enrich EET-capable organisms. We validated our system using the model electroactive organism S. oneidensis and describe the tooling of a benchtop microfluidic system for oxygen-limited processes. We demonstrated enrichment of EET-capable phenotypes from a mixed wild-type and EET-knockout population. As a proof-of-concept application, bacteria were collected from iron sedimentation from Town Lake (Austin, TX) and subjected to microdroplet enrichment. We observed an increase in EET-capable organisms in the sorted population that was distinct when compared to a population enriched in a bulk culture more closely akin to traditional techniques for discovering EET-capable bacteria. Finally, two bacterial species, C. sakazakii and V. fessus not previously shown to be electroactive, were further cultured and characterized for their ability to reduce channel conductance in an organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) and to reduce soluble Fe(III). We characterized two bacterial species not previously shown to exhibit electrogenic behavior. Our results demonstrate the utility of a microdroplet emulsions for identifying putative EET-capable bacteria and how this technology can be leveraged in tandem with existing methods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gina Partipilo
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712
| | - Emily K. Bowman
- Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Program, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712
| | - Emma J. Palmer
- Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712
| | - Yang Gao
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712
| | - Rodney S. Ridley
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712
| | - Hal S. Alper
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712
| | - Benjamin K. Keitz
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Man DKW, Hermans SM, Taubert M, Garcia SL, Hengoju S, Küsel K, Rosenbaum MA. Enrichment of different taxa of the enigmatic candidate phyla radiation bacteria using a novel picolitre droplet technique. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:ycae080. [PMID: 38946848 PMCID: PMC11214157 DOI: 10.1093/ismeco/ycae080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
The candidate phyla radiation (CPR) represents a distinct monophyletic clade and constitutes a major portion of the tree of life. Extensive efforts have focused on deciphering the functional diversity of its members, primarily using sequencing-based techniques. However, cultivation success remains scarce, presenting a significant challenge, particularly in CPR-dominated groundwater microbiomes characterized by low biomass. Here, we employ an advanced high-throughput droplet microfluidics technique to enrich CPR taxa from groundwater. Utilizing a low-volume filtration approach, we successfully harvested a microbiome resembling the original groundwater microbial community. We assessed CPR enrichment in droplet and aqueous bulk cultivation for 30 days using a novel CPR-specific primer to rapidly track the CPR fraction through the cultivation attempts. The combination of soil extract and microbial-derived necromass provided the most supportive conditions for CPR enrichment. Employing these supplemented conditions, droplet cultivation proved superior to bulk cultivation, resulting in up to a 13-fold CPR enrichment compared to a 1- to 2-fold increase in bulk cultivation. Amplicon sequencing revealed 10 significantly enriched CPR orders. The highest enrichment in CPRs was observed for some unknown members of the Parcubacteria order, Cand. Jorgensenbacteria, and unclassified UBA9983. Furthermore, we identified co-enriched putative host taxa, which may guide more targeted CPR isolation approaches in subsequent investigations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- DeDe Kwun Wai Man
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany
- Balance of the Microverse, Cluster of Excellence, Friedrich Schiller University, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Syrie M Hermans
- Balance of the Microverse, Cluster of Excellence, Friedrich Schiller University, 07743 Jena, Germany
- Food Science and Microbiology, School of Science, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, 1142 Auckland, New Zealand
- Aquatic Geomicrobiology, Institute of Biodiversity, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Martin Taubert
- Balance of the Microverse, Cluster of Excellence, Friedrich Schiller University, 07743 Jena, Germany
- Aquatic Geomicrobiology, Institute of Biodiversity, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Sarahi L Garcia
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), School of Mathematics and Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Sundar Hengoju
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Kirsten Küsel
- Balance of the Microverse, Cluster of Excellence, Friedrich Schiller University, 07743 Jena, Germany
- Aquatic Geomicrobiology, Institute of Biodiversity, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University, 07743 Jena, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Miriam A Rosenbaum
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany
- Balance of the Microverse, Cluster of Excellence, Friedrich Schiller University, 07743 Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University, 07743 Jena, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Muta M, Kawakubo W, Yoon DH, Tanaka D, Sekiguchi T, Shoji S, Ito M, Hatada Y, Funatsu T, Iizuka R. Deformability-Based Microfluidic Microdroplet Screening to Obtain Agarolytic Bacterial Cells. Anal Chem 2023; 95:16107-16114. [PMID: 37877901 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c02174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Environmental microorganisms possess enzymes that can digest macromolecules such as agarose into smaller molecules that can be utilized for growth. These enzymes could be valuable for the effective utilization of global resources. However, since most of the microorganisms on Earth remain uncultured, there is significant untapped enzymatic potential in nature. Therefore, it is necessary to develop innovative tools and strategies for exploring these enzymatic resources. To address this, we developed a method for screening microbial cells that secrete hydrogel-degrading enzymes using deformability-based microfluidic microdroplet sorting. In this method, microbial cells are encapsulated as single cells in water-in-oil (W/O) microdroplets with a hydrogel whose shape becomes deformable as the hydrogel is progressively degraded into smaller molecules. Screening is achieved using a microfluidic device that passively sorts the deformed W/O microdroplets. Using this method, we successfully sorted agarose-containing microdroplets, encapsulating single bacterial cells that hydrolyzed agarose. This method can be used to screen various hydrogel-degrading microbial cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mikihisa Muta
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Wataru Kawakubo
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan
| | - Dong Hyun Yoon
- Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation, Waseda University, 513 Waseda Tsurumakicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0041, Japan
| | - Daiki Tanaka
- Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation, Waseda University, 513 Waseda Tsurumakicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0041, Japan
| | - Tetsushi Sekiguchi
- Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation, Waseda University, 513 Waseda Tsurumakicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0041, Japan
| | - Shuichi Shoji
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan
- Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation, Waseda University, 513 Waseda Tsurumakicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0041, Japan
| | - Mei Ito
- Department of Life Science and Green Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Saitama Institute of Technology, 1690 Fusaiji, Fukaya-shi 369-0293, Saitama, Japan
| | - Yuji Hatada
- Department of Life Science and Green Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Saitama Institute of Technology, 1690 Fusaiji, Fukaya-shi 369-0293, Saitama, Japan
| | - Takashi Funatsu
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Ryo Iizuka
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ladeveze S, Zurek PJ, Kaminski TS, Emond S, Hollfelder F. Versatile Product Detection via Coupled Assays for Ultrahigh-Throughput Screening of Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes in Microfluidic Droplets. ACS Catal 2023; 13:10232-10243. [PMID: 37560191 PMCID: PMC10407846 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.3c01609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Enzyme discovery and directed evolution are the two major contemporary approaches for the improvement of industrial processes by biocatalysis in various fields. Customization of catalysts for improvement of single enzyme reactions or de novo reaction development is often complex and tedious. The success of screening campaigns relies on the fraction of sequence space that can be sampled, whether for evolving a particular enzyme or screening metagenomes. Ultrahigh-throughput screening (uHTS) based on in vitro compartmentalization in water-in-oil emulsion of picoliter droplets generated in microfluidic systems allows screening rates >1 kHz (or >107 per day). Screening for carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) catalyzing biotechnologically valuable reactions in this format presents an additional challenge because the released carbohydrates are difficult to monitor in high throughput. Activated substrates with large optically active hydrophobic leaving groups provide a generic optical readout, but the molecular recognition properties of sugars will be altered by the incorporation of such fluoro- or chromophores and their typically higher reactivity, as leaving groups with lowered pKa values compared to native substrates make the observation of promiscuous reactions more likely. To overcome these issues, we designed microdroplet assays in which optically inactive carbohydrate products are made visible by specific cascades: the primary reaction of an unlabeled substrate leads to an optical signal downstream. Successfully implementing such assays at the picoliter droplet scale allowed us to detect glucose, xylose, glucuronic acid, and arabinose as final products of complex oligosaccharide degradation by glycoside hydrolases by absorbance measurements. Enabling the use of uHTS for screening CAZyme reactions that have been thus far elusive will chart a route toward faster and easier development of specific and efficient biocatalysts for biovalorization, directing enzyme discovery by challenging catalysts for reaction with natural rather than model substrates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul J. Zurek
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB21GA, U.K.
| | | | | | - Florian Hollfelder
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB21GA, U.K.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Zhang L, Parvin R, Chen M, Hu D, Fan Q, Ye F. High-throughput microfluidic droplets in biomolecular analytical system: A review. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 228:115213. [PMID: 36906989 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Droplet microfluidic technology has revolutionized biomolecular analytical research, as it has the capability to reserve the genotype-to-phenotype linkage and assist for revealing the heterogeneity. Massive and uniform picolitre droplets feature dividing solution to the level that single cell and single molecule in each droplet can be visualized, barcoded, and analyzed. Then, the droplet assays can unfold intensive genomic data, offer high sensitivity, and screen and sort from a large number of combinations or phenotypes. Based on these unique advantages, this review focuses on up-to-date research concerning diverse screening applications utilizing droplet microfluidic technology. The emerging progress of droplet microfluidic technology is first introduced, including efficient and scaling-up in droplets encapsulation, and prevalent batch operations. Then the new implementations of droplet-based digital detection assays and single-cell muti-omics sequencing are briefly examined, along with related applications such as drug susceptibility testing, multiplexing for cancer subtype identification, interactions of virus-to-host, and multimodal and spatiotemporal analysis. Meanwhile, we specialize in droplet-based large-scale combinational screening regarding desired phenotypes, with an emphasis on sorting for immune cells, antibodies, enzymatic properties, and proteins produced by directed evolution methods. Finally, some challenges, deployment and future perspective of droplet microfluidics technology in practice are also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lexiang Zhang
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China; Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Tissue Repair Materials, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Rokshana Parvin
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China; Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Tissue Repair Materials, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Mingshuo Chen
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China; Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Tissue Repair Materials, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Dingmeng Hu
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China; Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Tissue Repair Materials, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Qihui Fan
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China; Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Tissue Repair Materials, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China; Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
| | - Fangfu Ye
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China; Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Tissue Repair Materials, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China; Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Jiang J, Yang G, Ma F. Fluorescence coupling strategies in fluorescence-activated droplet sorting (FADS) for ultrahigh-throughput screening of enzymes, metabolites, and antibodies. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 66:108173. [PMID: 37169102 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Fluorescence-activated droplet sorting (FADS) has emerged as a powerful tool for ultrahigh-throughput screening of enzymes, metabolites, and antibodies. Fluorescence coupling strategies (FCSs) are key to the development of new FADS methods through their coupling of analyte properties such as concentration, activities, and affinity with fluorescence signals. Over the last decade, a series of FCSs have been developed, greatly expanding applications of FADS. Here, we review recent advances in FCS for different analyte types, providing a critical comparison of the available FCSs and further classification into four categories according to their principles. We also summarize successful FADS applications employing FCSs in enzymes, metabolites, and antibodies. Further, we outline possible future developments in this area.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jingjie Jiang
- Medical Enzyme Engineering Center, CAS Key Lab of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215163, China
| | - Guangyu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
| | - Fuqiang Ma
- Medical Enzyme Engineering Center, CAS Key Lab of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215163, China.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Gantz M, Neun S, Medcalf EJ, van Vliet LD, Hollfelder F. Ultrahigh-Throughput Enzyme Engineering and Discovery in In Vitro Compartments. Chem Rev 2023; 123:5571-5611. [PMID: 37126602 PMCID: PMC10176489 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Novel and improved biocatalysts are increasingly sourced from libraries via experimental screening. The success of such campaigns is crucially dependent on the number of candidates tested. Water-in-oil emulsion droplets can replace the classical test tube, to provide in vitro compartments as an alternative screening format, containing genotype and phenotype and enabling a readout of function. The scale-down to micrometer droplet diameters and picoliter volumes brings about a >107-fold volume reduction compared to 96-well-plate screening. Droplets made in automated microfluidic devices can be integrated into modular workflows to set up multistep screening protocols involving various detection modes to sort >107 variants a day with kHz frequencies. The repertoire of assays available for droplet screening covers all seven enzyme commission (EC) number classes, setting the stage for widespread use of droplet microfluidics in everyday biochemical experiments. We review the practicalities of adapting droplet screening for enzyme discovery and for detailed kinetic characterization. These new ways of working will not just accelerate discovery experiments currently limited by screening capacity but profoundly change the paradigms we can probe. By interfacing the results of ultrahigh-throughput droplet screening with next-generation sequencing and deep learning, strategies for directed evolution can be implemented, examined, and evaluated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Gantz
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Rd, Cambridge CB2 1GA, U.K
| | - Stefanie Neun
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Rd, Cambridge CB2 1GA, U.K
| | - Elliot J Medcalf
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Rd, Cambridge CB2 1GA, U.K
| | - Liisa D van Vliet
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Rd, Cambridge CB2 1GA, U.K
| | - Florian Hollfelder
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Rd, Cambridge CB2 1GA, U.K
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Datta SS, Battiato I, Fernø MA, Juanes R, Parsa S, Prigiobbe V, Santanach-Carreras E, Song W, Biswal SL, Sinton D. Lab on a chip for a low-carbon future. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:1358-1375. [PMID: 36789954 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00020b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Transitioning our society to a sustainable future, with low or net-zero carbon emissions to the atmosphere, will require a wide-spread transformation of energy and environmental technologies. In this perspective article, we describe how lab-on-a-chip (LoC) systems can help address this challenge by providing insight into the fundamental physical and geochemical processes underlying new technologies critical to this transition, and developing the new processes and materials required. We focus on six areas: (I) subsurface carbon sequestration, (II) subsurface hydrogen storage, (III) geothermal energy extraction, (IV) bioenergy, (V) recovering critical materials, and (VI) water filtration and remediation. We hope to engage the LoC community in the many opportunities within the transition ahead, and highlight the potential of LoC approaches to the broader community of researchers, industry experts, and policy makers working toward a low-carbon future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sujit S Datta
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton NJ, USA.
| | - Ilenia Battiato
- Department of Energy Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Palo Alto CA, USA
| | - Martin A Fernø
- Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, 5020, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ruben Juanes
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge MA, USA
| | - Shima Parsa
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester NY, USA
| | - Valentina Prigiobbe
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Ocean Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken NJ, USA
- Department of Geosciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Wen Song
- Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX, USA
| | - Sibani Lisa Biswal
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
| | - David Sinton
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto ON, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Research progress on the degradation mechanism and modification of keratinase. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:1003-1017. [PMID: 36633625 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12360-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Keratin is regarded as the main component of feathers and is difficult to be degraded by conventional proteases, leading to substantial abandonment. Keratinase is the only enzyme with the most formidable potential for degrading feathers. Although there have been in-depth studies in recent years, the large-scale application of keratinase is still associated with many problems. It is relatively challenging to find keratinase not only with high activity but could also meet the industrial application environment, so it is urgent to exploit keratinase with high acid and temperature resistance, strong activity, and low price. Therefore, researchers have been keen to explore the degradation mechanism of keratinases and the modification of existing keratinases for decades. This review critically introduces the basic properties and mechanism of keratinase, and focuses on the current situation of keratinase modification and the direction and strategy of its future application and modification. KEY POINTS: •The research status and mechanism of keratinase were reviewed. •The new direction of keratinase application and modification is discussed. •The existing modification methods and future modification strategies of keratinases are reviewed.
Collapse
|
10
|
Yu X, Li S, Feng H, Liao X, Xing XH, Bai Z, Liu X, Zhang C. CRISPRi-microfluidics screening enables genome-scale target identification for high-titer protein production and secretion. Metab Eng 2023; 75:192-204. [PMID: 36572334 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2022.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Genome-scale target identification promises to guide microbial cell factory engineering for higher-titer production of biomolecules such as recombinant proteins (r-protein), but challenges remain due to the need not only for comprehensive genotypic perturbation but also in conjunction with high-throughput phenotypic screening strategies. Here, we developed a CRISPRi-microfluidics screening platform to systematically identify crucial gene targets that can be engineered to enhance r-protein secretion in Corynebacterium glutamicum. We created a CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) library containing 46,549 single-guide RNAs, where we aimed to unbiasedly target all genes for repression. Meanwhile, we developed a highly efficient droplet-based microfluidics system integrating the FlAsH-tetracysteine assay that enables screening of millions of strains to identify potential knockdowns conducive to nanobody VHH secretion. Among our highest-ranking candidates are a slew of previously unknown targets involved in transmembrane transport, amino-acid metabolism and redox regulation. Guided by these findings, we eventually constructed a hyperproducer for multiple proteins via combinatorial engineering of redox-response transcription factors. As the near-universal applicability of CRISPRi technology and the FlAsH-based screening platform, this procedure might be expanded to include a varied variety of microbial species and recombinant proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Yu
- National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China; MOE Key Laboratory for Industrial Biocatalysis, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Shuang Li
- MOE Key Laboratory for Industrial Biocatalysis, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Huibao Feng
- MOE Key Laboratory for Industrial Biocatalysis, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Xihao Liao
- MOE Key Laboratory for Industrial Biocatalysis, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Xin-Hui Xing
- MOE Key Laboratory for Industrial Biocatalysis, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China; Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China; Institute of Biopharmaceutical and Health Engineering, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Zhonghu Bai
- National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China; Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Xiuxia Liu
- National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China; Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.
| | - Chong Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Industrial Biocatalysis, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China; Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Yu Y, Wen H, Li S, Cao H, Li X, Ma Z, She X, Zhou L, Huang S. Emerging microfluidic technologies for microbiome research. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:906979. [PMID: 36051769 PMCID: PMC9424851 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.906979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of the microbiome is increasingly prominent. For example, the human microbiome has been proven to be strongly associated with health conditions, while the environmental microbiome is recognized to have a profound influence on agriculture and even the global climate. Furthermore, the microbiome can serve as a fascinating reservoir of genes that encode tremendously valuable compounds for industrial and medical applications. In the past decades, various technologies have been developed to better understand and exploit the microbiome. In particular, microfluidics has demonstrated its strength and prominence in the microbiome research. By taking advantage of microfluidic technologies, inherited shortcomings of traditional methods such as low throughput, labor-consuming, and high-cost are being compensated or bypassed. In this review, we will summarize a broad spectrum of microfluidic technologies that have addressed various needs in the field of microbiome research, as well as the achievements that were enabled by the microfluidics (or technological advances). Finally, how microfluidics overcomes the limitations of conventional methods by technology integration will also be discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yue Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hui Wen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Sihong Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Haojie Cao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xuefei Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhixin Ma
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaoyi She
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lei Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shuqiang Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Shuqiang Huang,
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Zhu GP, Wang QY, Ma ZK, Wu SH, Guo YP. Droplet Manipulation under a Magnetic Field: A Review. BIOSENSORS 2022; 12:bios12030156. [PMID: 35323426 PMCID: PMC8946071 DOI: 10.3390/bios12030156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The magnetic manipulation of droplets is one of the emerging magnetofluidic technologies that integrate multiple disciplines, such as electromagnetics, fluid mechanics and so on. The directly driven droplets are mainly composed of ferrofluid or liquid metal. This kind of magnetically induced droplet manipulation provides a remote, wireless and programmable approach beneficial for research and engineering applications, such as drug synthesis, biochemistry, sample preparation in life sciences, biomedicine, tissue engineering, etc. Based on the significant growth in the study of magneto droplet handling achieved over the past decades, further and more profound explorations in this field gained impetus, raising concentrations on the construction of a comprehensive working mechanism and the commercialization of this technology. Current challenges faced are not limited to the design and fabrication of the magnetic field, the material, the acquisition of precise and stable droplet performance, other constraints in processing speed and so on. The rotational devices or systems could give rise to additional issues on bulky appearance, high cost, low reliability, etc. Various magnetically introduced droplet behaviors, such as deformation, displacement, rotation, levitation, splitting and fusion, are mainly introduced in this work, involving the basic theory, functions and working principles.
Collapse
|
13
|
Qiao Y, Hu R, Chen D, Wang L, Wang Z, Yu H, Fu Y, Li C, Dong Z, Weng YX, Du W. Fluorescence-activated droplet sorting of PET degrading microorganisms. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 424:127417. [PMID: 34673397 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Enzymes that can decompose synthetic plastics such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are urgently needed. Still, a bottleneck remains due to a lack of techniques for detecting and sorting environmental microorganisms with vast diversity and abundance. Here, we developed a fluorescence-activated droplet sorting (FADS) pipeline for high-throughput screening of PET-degrading microorganisms or enzymes (PETases). The pipeline comprises three steps: generation and incubation of droplets encapsulating single cells, picoinjection of fluorescein dibenzoate (FDBz) as the fluorogenic probe, and screening of droplets to obtain PET-degrading cells. We characterized critical factors associated with this method, including specificity and sensitivity for discriminating PETase from other enzymes. We then optimized its performance and compatibility with environmental samples. The system was used to screen a wastewater sample from a PET textile mill. We successfully obtained PET-degrading species from nine different genera. Moreover, two putative PETases from isolates Kineococcus endophyticus Un-5 and Staphylococcus epidermidis Un-C2-8 were genetically derived, heterologously expressed, and preliminarily validated for PET-degrading activities. We speculate that the FADS pipeline can be widely adopted to discover new plastic-degrading microorganisms and enzymes in various environments and may be utilized in the directed evolution of degrading enzymes using synthetic biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuxin Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Ran Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Dongwei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Li Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhiyi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Department of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Haiyan Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Department of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ye Fu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Quality Evaluation Technology for Hygiene and Safety of Plastics, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Chunli Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhiyang Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yun-Xuan Weng
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Quality Evaluation Technology for Hygiene and Safety of Plastics, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China.
| | - Wenbin Du
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Savid Medical School, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Department of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Maurya R, Gohil N, Bhattacharjee G, Alzahrani KJ, Ramakrishna S, Singh V. Microfluidics for single cell analysis. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2022; 186:203-215. [PMID: 35033285 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2021.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Cells have several internal molecules that are present in low amounts and any fluctuation in its number drives a change in cell behavior. These molecules present inside the cells are continuously fluctuating, thus producing noises in the intrinsic environment and thereby directly affecting the cellular behavior. Single-cell analysis using microfluidics is an important tool for monitoring cell behavior by analyzing internal molecules. Several gene circuits have been designed for this purpose that are labeled with fluorescence encoding genes for monitoring cell dynamics and behavior. We discuss herewith designed and fabricated microfluidics devices that are used for trapping and tracking cells under controlled environmental conditions. This chapter highlights microfluidics chip for monitoring cells to promote their basic understanding.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rupesh Maurya
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science, Indrashil University, Rajpur, Mehsana, Gujarat, India
| | - Nisarg Gohil
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science, Indrashil University, Rajpur, Mehsana, Gujarat, India
| | - Gargi Bhattacharjee
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science, Indrashil University, Rajpur, Mehsana, Gujarat, India
| | - Khalid J Alzahrani
- Department of Clinical Laboratories Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Suresh Ramakrishna
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea; College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Vijai Singh
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science, Indrashil University, Rajpur, Mehsana, Gujarat, India.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Uzoukwu EU, Phandanouvong-Lozano V, Usman H, Sfeir C, Niepa THR. Droplet-based microsystems as novel assessment tools for oral microbial dynamics. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 55:107903. [PMID: 34990774 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2021.107903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The human microbiome comprises thousands of microbial species that live in and on the body and play critical roles in human health and disease. Recent findings on the interplay among members of the oral microbiome, defined by a personalized set of microorganisms, have elucidated the role of bacteria and yeasts in oral health and diseases including dental caries, halitosis, and periodontal infections. However, the majority of these studies rely on traditional culturing methods which are limited in their ability of replicating the oral microenvironment, and therefore fail to evaluate key microbial interactions in microbiome dynamics. Novel culturing methods have emerged to address this shortcoming. Here, we reviewed the potential of droplet-based microfluidics as an alternative approach for culturing microorganisms and assessing the oral microbiome dynamics. We discussed the state of the art and recent progress in the field of oral microbiology. Although at its infancy, droplet-based microtechnology presents an interesting potential for elucidating oral microbial dynamics and pathophysiology. We highlight how new findings provided by current microfluidic-based methodologies could advance the investigation of the oral microbiome. We anticipate that our work involving the droplet-based microfluidic technique with a semipermeable membrane will lay the foundations for future microbial dynamics studies and further expand the knowledge of the oral microbiome and its implication in oral health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Huda Usman
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Charles Sfeir
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Periodontics and Preventive Dentistry, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Oral Biology, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA; The Center for Craniofacial Regeneration, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA; The McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Tagbo H R Niepa
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Medicine and the Microbiome, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA; The McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Kerk YJ, Jameel A, Xing X, Zhang C. Recent advances of integrated microfluidic suspension cell culture system. ENGINEERING BIOLOGY 2021; 5:103-119. [PMID: 36970555 PMCID: PMC9996741 DOI: 10.1049/enb2.12015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Microfluidic devices with superior microscale fluid manipulation ability and large integration flexibility offer great advantages of high throughput, parallelisation and multifunctional automation. Such features have been extensively utilised to facilitate cell culture processes such as cell capturing and culturing under controllable and monitored conditions for cell-based assays. Incorporating functional components and microfabricated configurations offered different levels of fluid control and cell manipulation strategies to meet diverse culture demands. This review will discuss the advances of single-phase flow and droplet-based integrated microfluidic suspension cell culture systems and their applications for accelerated bioprocess development, high-throughput cell selection, drug screening and scientific research to insight cell biology. Challenges and future prospects for this dynamically developing field are also highlighted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yi Jing Kerk
- Institute of Biochemical EngineeringDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Aysha Jameel
- Institute of Biochemical EngineeringDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
- MOE Key Laboratory of Industrial BiocatalysisDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Xin‐Hui Xing
- Institute of Biochemical EngineeringDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
- MOE Key Laboratory of Industrial BiocatalysisDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
- Center for Synthetic and Systems BiologyTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Chong Zhang
- Institute of Biochemical EngineeringDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
- MOE Key Laboratory of Industrial BiocatalysisDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
- Center for Synthetic and Systems BiologyTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Ou Y, Cao S, Zhang J, Dong W, Yang Z, Yu Z. Droplet microfluidics on analysis of pathogenic microbes for wastewater-based epidemiology. Trends Analyt Chem 2021; 143:116333. [PMID: 34720276 PMCID: PMC8547957 DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2021.116333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Infectious diseases caused by pathogenic microbes have posed a major health issue for the public, such as the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic. In recent years, wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is emerging as an effective and unbiased method for monitoring public health. Despite its increasing importance, the advancement of WBE requires more competent and streamlined analytical platforms. Herein we discuss the interactions between WBE and droplet microfluidics, focusing on the analysis of pathogens in droplets, which is hard to be tackled by traditional analytical tools. We highlight research works from three aspects, namely, quantitation of pathogen biomarkers in droplets, single-cell analysis in droplets, and living cell biosensors in droplets, as well as providing future perspectives on the synergy between WBE and droplet microfluidics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yangteng Ou
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, 30 Puzhu South Road, Nanjing, 211816, PR China.,Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Shixiang Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, 30 Puzhu South Road, Nanjing, 211816, PR China
| | - Jing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, 30 Puzhu South Road, Nanjing, 211816, PR China
| | - Weiliang Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, 30 Puzhu South Road, Nanjing, 211816, PR China
| | - Zhugen Yang
- School of Water, Energy and Environment, Cranfield University, Cranfield, MK43 0AL, UK
| | - Ziyi Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, 30 Puzhu South Road, Nanjing, 211816, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Consolidated Bioprocessing: Synthetic Biology Routes to Fuels and Fine Chemicals. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9051079. [PMID: 34069865 PMCID: PMC8157379 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9051079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The long road from emerging biotechnologies to commercial “green” biosynthetic routes for chemical production relies in part on efficient microbial use of sustainable and renewable waste biomass feedstocks. One solution is to apply the consolidated bioprocessing approach, whereby microorganisms convert lignocellulose waste into advanced fuels and other chemicals. As lignocellulose is a highly complex network of polymers, enzymatic degradation or “saccharification” requires a range of cellulolytic enzymes acting synergistically to release the abundant sugars contained within. Complications arise from the need for extracellular localisation of cellulolytic enzymes, whether they be free or cell-associated. This review highlights the current progress in the consolidated bioprocessing approach, whereby microbial chassis are engineered to grow on lignocellulose as sole carbon sources whilst generating commercially useful chemicals. Future perspectives in the emerging biofoundry approach with bacterial hosts are discussed, where solutions to existing bottlenecks could potentially be overcome though the application of high throughput and iterative Design-Build-Test-Learn methodologies. These rapid automated pathway building infrastructures could be adapted for addressing the challenges of increasing cellulolytic capabilities of microorganisms to commercially viable levels.
Collapse
|
19
|
Hu B, Xu P, Ma L, Chen D, Wang J, Dai X, Huang L, Du W. One cell at a time: droplet-based microbial cultivation, screening and sequencing. MARINE LIFE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 3:169-188. [PMID: 37073344 PMCID: PMC10077293 DOI: 10.1007/s42995-020-00082-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Microbes thrive and, in turn, influence the earth's environment, but most are poorly understood because of our limited capacity to reveal their natural diversity and function. Developing novel tools and effective strategies are critical to ease this dilemma and will help to understand their roles in ecology and human health. Recently, droplet microfluidics is emerging as a promising technology for microbial studies with value in microbial cultivating, screening, and sequencing. This review aims to provide an overview of droplet microfluidics techniques for microbial research. First, some critical points or steps in the microfluidic system are introduced, such as droplet stabilization, manipulation, and detection. We then highlight the recent progress of droplet-based methods for microbiological applications, from high-throughput single-cell cultivation, screening to the targeted or whole-genome sequencing of single cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Beiyu Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101 China
- College of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Peng Xu
- Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158 USA
| | - Liang Ma
- Department of Biomedical Devices, Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, 510320 China
| | - Dongwei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101 China
| | - Jian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101 China
| | - Xin Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101 China
- College of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Li Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101 China
- College of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Wenbin Du
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101 China
- Department of Biomedical Devices, Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, 510320 China
- College of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
- Savaid Medical School, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Lewis WH, Tahon G, Geesink P, Sousa DZ, Ettema TJG. Innovations to culturing the uncultured microbial majority. Nat Rev Microbiol 2021; 19:225-240. [PMID: 33093661 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-020-00458-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 195] [Impact Index Per Article: 65.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Despite the surge of microbial genome data, experimental testing is important to confirm inferences about the cell biology, ecological roles and evolution of microorganisms. As the majority of archaeal and bacterial diversity remains uncultured and poorly characterized, culturing is a priority. The growing interest in and need for efficient cultivation strategies has led to many rapid methodological and technological advances. In this Review, we discuss common barriers that can hamper the isolation and culturing of novel microorganisms and review emerging, innovative methods for targeted or high-throughput cultivation. We also highlight recent examples of successful cultivation of novel archaea and bacteria, and suggest key microorganisms for future cultivation attempts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William H Lewis
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Guillaume Tahon
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Patricia Geesink
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Diana Z Sousa
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Thijs J G Ettema
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Yang J, Tu R, Yuan H, Wang Q, Zhu L. Recent advances in droplet microfluidics for enzyme and cell factory engineering. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2021; 41:1023-1045. [PMID: 33730939 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2021.1898326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Enzymes and cell factories play essential roles in industrial biotechnology for the production of chemicals and fuels. The properties of natural enzymes and cells often cannot meet the requirements of different industrial processes in terms of cost-effectiveness and high durability. To rapidly improve their properties and performances, laboratory evolution equipped with high-throughput screening methods and facilities is commonly used to tailor the desired properties of enzymes and cell factories, addressing the challenges of achieving high titer and the yield of the target products at high/low temperatures or extreme pH, in unnatural environments or in the presence of unconventional media. Droplet microfluidic screening (DMFS) systems have demonstrated great potential for exploring vast genetic diversity in a high-throughput manner (>106/h) for laboratory evolution and have been increasingly used in recent years, contributing to the identification of extraordinary mutants. This review highlights the recent advances in concepts and methods of DMFS for library screening, including the key factors in droplet generation and manipulation, signal sources for sensitive detection and sorting, and a comprehensive summary of success stories of DMFS implementation for engineering enzymes and cell factories during the past decade.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jianhua Yang
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China.,National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
| | - Ran Tu
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China.,National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
| | - Huiling Yuan
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China.,National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
| | - Qinhong Wang
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China.,National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
| | - Leilei Zhu
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China.,National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Tauzin AS, Pereira MR, Van Vliet LD, Colin PY, Laville E, Esque J, Laguerre S, Henrissat B, Terrapon N, Lombard V, Leclerc M, Doré J, Hollfelder F, Potocki-Veronese G. Investigating host-microbiome interactions by droplet based microfluidics. MICROBIOME 2020; 8:141. [PMID: 33004077 PMCID: PMC7531118 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-020-00911-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the importance of the mucosal interface between microbiota and the host in gut homeostasis, little is known about the mechanisms of bacterial gut colonization, involving foraging for glycans produced by epithelial cells. The slow pace of progress toward understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms is largely due to the lack of efficient discovery tools, especially those targeting the uncultured fraction of the microbiota. RESULTS Here, we introduce an ultra-high-throughput metagenomic approach based on droplet microfluidics, to screen fosmid libraries. Thousands of bacterial genomes can be covered in 1 h of work, with less than ten micrograms of substrate. Applied to the screening of the mucosal microbiota for β-N-acetylgalactosaminidase activity, this approach allowed the identification of pathways involved in the degradation of human gangliosides and milk oligosaccharides, the structural homologs of intestinal mucin glycans. These pathways, whose prevalence is associated with inflammatory bowel diseases, could be the result of horizontal gene transfers with Bacteroides species. Such pathways represent novel targets to study the microbiota-host interactions in the context of inflammatory bowel diseases, in which the integrity of the mucosal barrier is impaired. CONCLUSION By compartmentalizing experiments inside microfluidic droplets, this method speeds up and miniaturizes by several orders of magnitude the screening process compared to conventional approaches, to capture entire metabolic pathways from metagenomic libraries. The method is compatible with all types of (meta)genomic libraries, and employs a commercially available flow cytometer instead of a custom-made sorting system to detect intracellular or extracellular enzyme activities. This versatile and generic workflow will accelerate experimental exploration campaigns in functional metagenomics and holobiomics studies, to further decipher host-microbiota relationships. Video Abstract.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra S Tauzin
- TBI, CNRS, INRAE, INSAT, Université de Toulouse, F-31400, Toulouse, France
| | - Mariana Rangel Pereira
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
- CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil, BrasÍlia, DF, 70040-020, Brazil
| | - Liisa D Van Vliet
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
- Drop-Tech, Canterbury Court, Cambridge, CB4 3QU, UK
| | - Pierre-Yves Colin
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Elisabeth Laville
- TBI, CNRS, INRAE, INSAT, Université de Toulouse, F-31400, Toulouse, France
| | - Jeremy Esque
- TBI, CNRS, INRAE, INSAT, Université de Toulouse, F-31400, Toulouse, France
| | - Sandrine Laguerre
- TBI, CNRS, INRAE, INSAT, Université de Toulouse, F-31400, Toulouse, France
| | - Bernard Henrissat
- CNRS, UMR 7257, Aix-Marseille Université, F-13288, Marseille, France
- USC 1408 AFMB, INRAE, F-13288, Marseille, France
- Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nicolas Terrapon
- CNRS, UMR 7257, Aix-Marseille Université, F-13288, Marseille, France
- USC 1408 AFMB, INRAE, F-13288, Marseille, France
| | - Vincent Lombard
- CNRS, UMR 7257, Aix-Marseille Université, F-13288, Marseille, France
- USC 1408 AFMB, INRAE, F-13288, Marseille, France
| | - Marion Leclerc
- Micalis Institute, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, F-78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Joël Doré
- Micalis Institute, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, F-78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
- Metagenopolis, INRAE, F-78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Florian Hollfelder
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK.
| | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Hengoju S, Tovar M, Man DKW, Buchheim S, Rosenbaum MA. Droplet Microfluidics for Microbial Biotechnology. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2020; 179:129-157. [PMID: 32888037 DOI: 10.1007/10_2020_140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Droplet microfluidics has recently evolved as a prominent platform for high-throughput experimentation for various research fields including microbiology. Key features of droplet microfluidics, like compartmentalization, miniaturization, and parallelization, have enabled many possibilities for microbiology including cultivation of microorganisms at a single-cell level, study of microbial interactions in a community, detection and analysis of microbial products, and screening of extensive microbial libraries with ultrahigh-throughput and minimal reagent consumptions. In this book chapter, we present several aspects and applications of droplet microfluidics for its implementation in various fields of microbial biotechnology. Recent advances in the cultivation of microorganisms in droplets including methods for isolation and domestication of rare microbes are reviewed. Similarly, a comparison of different detection and analysis techniques for microbial activities is summarized. Finally, several microbial applications are discussed with a focus on exploring new antimicrobials and high-throughput enzyme activity screening. We aim to highlight the advantages, limitations, and current developments in droplet microfluidics for microbial biotechnology while envisioning its enormous potential applications in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sundar Hengoju
- Bio Pilot Plant, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans-Knöll-Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany.,Faculty of Biological Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University (FSU), Jena, Germany
| | - Miguel Tovar
- Bio Pilot Plant, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans-Knöll-Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - DeDe Kwun Wai Man
- Bio Pilot Plant, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans-Knöll-Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Stefanie Buchheim
- Bio Pilot Plant, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans-Knöll-Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany.,Faculty of Biological Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University (FSU), Jena, Germany
| | - Miriam A Rosenbaum
- Bio Pilot Plant, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans-Knöll-Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany. .,Faculty of Biological Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University (FSU), Jena, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Neun S, Zurek PJ, Kaminski TS, Hollfelder F. Ultrahigh throughput screening for enzyme function in droplets. Methods Enzymol 2020; 643:317-343. [PMID: 32896286 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2020.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Water-in-oil droplets, made and handled in microfluidic devices, provide a new experimental format, in which ultrahigh throughput experiments can be conducted faster and with minimal reagent consumption. An increasing number of studies have emerged that applied this approach to directed evolution and metagenomic screening of enzyme catalysts. Here, we review the considerations necessary to implement robust workflows, based on choices of device design, detection modes, emulsion formulations and substrates, and scope out which enzyme classes have become amenable to droplet screening.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Neun
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Paul J Zurek
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Tomasz S Kaminski
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Florian Hollfelder
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Payne EM, Holland-Moritz DA, Sun S, Kennedy RT. High-throughput screening by droplet microfluidics: perspective into key challenges and future prospects. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:2247-2262. [PMID: 32500896 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00347f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
In two decades of development, impressive strides have been made for automating basic laboratory operations in droplet-based microfluidics, allowing the emergence of a new form of high-throughput screening and experimentation in nanoliter to femtoliter volumes. Despite advancements in droplet storage, manipulation, and analysis, the field has not yet been widely adapted for many high-throughput screening (HTS) applications. Broad adoption and commercial development of these techniques require robust implementation of strategies for the stable storage, chemical containment, generation of libraries, sample tracking, and chemical analysis of these small samples. We discuss these challenges for implementing droplet HTS and highlight key strategies that have begun to address these concerns. Recent advances in the field leave us optimistic about the future prospects of this rapidly developing technology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emory M Payne
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Winning the numbers game in enzyme evolution - fast screening methods for improved biotechnology proteins. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2020; 63:123-133. [PMID: 32615371 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2020.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The booming demand for environmentally benign industrial processes relies on the ability to quickly find or engineer a biocatalyst suitable to ideal process conditions. Both metagenomic approaches and directed evolution involve the screening of huge libraries of protein variants, which can only be managed reasonably by flexible platforms for (ultra)high-throughput profiling against the desired criteria. Here, we review the most recent additions toward a growing toolbox of versatile assays using fluorescence, absorbance and mass spectrometry readouts. While conventional solution based high-throughput screening in microtiter plate formats is still important, the implementation of novel screening protocols for microfluidic cell or droplet sorting systems supports technological advances for ultra-high-frequency screening that now can dramatically reduce the timescale of engineering projects. We discuss practical issues of scope, scalability, sensitivity and stereoselectivity for the improvement of biotechnologically relevant enzymes from different classes.
Collapse
|
27
|
Wang Y, Chen Z, Bian F, Shang L, Zhu K, Zhao Y. Advances of droplet-based microfluidics in drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2020; 15:969-979. [DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2020.1758663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuetong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhuoyue Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Feika Bian
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Luoran Shang
- Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, Fudan University, and the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kaixuan Zhu
- School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Suzhou Institute of Technology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhangjiagang, China
| | - Yuanjin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Holland-Moritz DA, Wismer MK, Mann BF, Farasat I, Devine P, Guetschow ED, Mangion I, Welch CJ, Moore JC, Sun S, Kennedy RT. Mass Activated Droplet Sorting (MADS) Enables High-Throughput Screening of Enzymatic Reactions at Nanoliter Scale. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020; 59:4470-4477. [PMID: 31868984 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201913203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic droplet sorting enables the high-throughput screening and selection of water-in-oil microreactors at speeds and volumes unparalleled by traditional well-plate approaches. Most such systems sort using fluorescent reporters on modified substrates or reactions that are rarely industrially relevant. We describe a microfluidic system for high-throughput sorting of nanoliter droplets based on direct detection using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Droplets are split, one portion is analyzed by ESI-MS, and the second portion is sorted based on the MS result. Throughput of 0.7 samples s-1 is achieved with 98 % accuracy using a self-correcting and adaptive sorting algorithm. We use the system to screen ≈15 000 samples in 6 h and demonstrate its utility by sorting 25 nL droplets containing transaminase expressed in vitro. Label-free ESI-MS droplet screening expands the toolbox for droplet detection and recovery, improving the applicability of droplet sorting to protein engineering, drug discovery, and diagnostic workflows.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael K Wismer
- Scientific Engineering and Design, Merck & Co., Inc., 2000 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, NJ, 07033, USA
| | - Benjamin F Mann
- Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Iman Farasat
- Janssen R&D, 1400 McKean Rd., Spring House, PA, 19477, USA
| | - Paul Devine
- Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Erik D Guetschow
- Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Ian Mangion
- Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | | | - Jeffrey C Moore
- Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Shuwen Sun
- Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Robert T Kennedy
- Dept. of Chemistry, University of Michigan, 930 N University, Ann Abor, MI, 48109, USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Holland‐Moritz DA, Wismer MK, Mann BF, Farasat I, Devine P, Guetschow ED, Mangion I, Welch CJ, Moore JC, Sun S, Kennedy RT. Mass Activated Droplet Sorting (MADS) Enables High‐Throughput Screening of Enzymatic Reactions at Nanoliter Scale. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201913203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael K. Wismer
- Scientific Engineering and Design Merck & Co., Inc. 2000 Galloping Hill Road Kenilworth NJ 07033 USA
| | - Benjamin F. Mann
- Process Research and Development Merck & Co., Inc. 126 E. Lincoln Ave Rahway NJ 07065 USA
| | - Iman Farasat
- Janssen R&D 1400 McKean Rd. Spring House PA 19477 USA
| | - Paul Devine
- Process Research and Development Merck & Co., Inc. 126 E. Lincoln Ave Rahway NJ 07065 USA
| | - Erik D. Guetschow
- Process Research and Development Merck & Co., Inc. 126 E. Lincoln Ave Rahway NJ 07065 USA
| | - Ian Mangion
- Process Research and Development Merck & Co., Inc. 126 E. Lincoln Ave Rahway NJ 07065 USA
| | | | - Jeffrey C. Moore
- Process Research and Development Merck & Co., Inc. 126 E. Lincoln Ave Rahway NJ 07065 USA
| | - Shuwen Sun
- Process Research and Development Merck & Co., Inc. 126 E. Lincoln Ave Rahway NJ 07065 USA
| | - Robert T. Kennedy
- Dept. of Chemistry University of Michigan 930 N University Ann Abor MI 48109 USA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Debon A, Pott M, Obexer R, Green AP, Friedrich L, Griffiths AD, Hilvert D. Ultrahigh-throughput screening enables efficient single-round oxidase remodelling. Nat Catal 2019. [DOI: 10.1038/s41929-019-0340-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
|
31
|
He R, Ding R, Heyman JA, Zhang D, Tu R. Ultra-high-throughput picoliter-droplet microfluidics screening of the industrial cellulase-producing filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 46:1603-1610. [PMID: 31375945 DOI: 10.1007/s10295-019-02221-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The selection of improved producers among the huge number of variants in mutant libraries is a key issue in filamentous fungi of industrial biotechnology. Here, we developed a droplet-based microfluidic high-throughput screening platform for selection of high-cellulase producers from filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei. The screening system used a fluorogenic assay to measure amount of cellulase and its activity. The key effectors such as cellulase-inducing medium, spore germination, droplet cultivation time, droplet fluorescence signal detection, and droplet cell sorting were studied. An artificial pre-mixed library of high- and low-cellulase-producing T. reesei strains was screened successfully to verify the feasibility of our method. Finally, two cellulase hyperproducers exhibiting improvements in cellulase activity of 27% and 46% were isolated from an atmospheric and room-temperature plasma (ARTP)-mutated library. This high-throughput screening system could be applied to the engineering of T. reesei strains and other industrially valuable protein-producing filamentous fungi.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ronglin He
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Biology Systems and Processing Engineering, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Ruihua Ding
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - John A Heyman
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Dongyuan Zhang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Biology Systems and Processing Engineering, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China.
| | - Ran Tu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Biology Systems and Processing Engineering, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China.
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Žnidaršič‐Plazl P. The Promises and the Challenges of Biotransformations in Microflow. Biotechnol J 2019; 14:e1800580. [DOI: 10.1002/biot.201800580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2018] [Revised: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Polona Žnidaršič‐Plazl
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical TechnologyUniversity of LjubljanaVečna pot 113, SI‐1000 Ljubljana Slovenia
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Haidas D, Bachler S, Köhler M, Blank LM, Zenobi R, Dittrich PS. Microfluidic Platform for Multimodal Analysis of Enzyme Secretion in Nanoliter Droplet Arrays. Anal Chem 2019; 91:2066-2073. [PMID: 30571917 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b04506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
High-throughput screening of cell-secreted proteins is essential for various biotechnological applications. In this article, we show a microfluidic approach to perform the analysis of cell-secreted proteins in nanoliter droplet arrays by two complementary methods, fluorescence microscopy and mass spectrometry. We analyzed the secretion of the enzyme phytase, a phosphatase used as an animal feed additive, from a low number of yeast cells. Yeast cells were encapsulated in nanoliter volumes by droplet microfluidics and deposited on spatially defined spots on the surface of a glass slide mounted on the motorized stage of an inverted fluorescence microscope. During the following incubation for several hours to produce phytase, the droplets can be monitored by optical microscopy. After addition of a fluorogenic substrate at a defined time, the relative concentration of phytase was determined in every droplet. Moreover, we demonstrate the use of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) to monitor the multistep conversion of the native substrate phytic acid by phytase secreted in 7 nL droplets containing 50-100 cells. Our method can be adapted to various other protocols. As the droplets are easily accessible, compounds such as assay reagents or matrix molecules can be added to all or to selected droplets only, or part of the droplet volume could be removed. Hence, this platform is a versatile tool for questions related to cell secretome analysis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Haidas
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering , ETH Zürich , Mattenstrasse 26 , 4058 Basel , Switzerland
| | - Simon Bachler
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering , ETH Zürich , Mattenstrasse 26 , 4058 Basel , Switzerland
| | - Martin Köhler
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences , ETH Zürich , Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3 , 8093 Zürich , Switzerland
| | - Lars M Blank
- Institute of Applied Microbiology, Aachen Biology and Biotechnology , RWTH Aachen University , Worringer Weg 1 , 52074 Aachen , Germany
| | - Renato Zenobi
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences , ETH Zürich , Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3 , 8093 Zürich , Switzerland
| | - Petra S Dittrich
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering , ETH Zürich , Mattenstrasse 26 , 4058 Basel , Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Islam MM, Loewen A, Allen PB. Simple, low-cost fabrication of acrylic based droplet microfluidics and its use to generate DNA-coated particles. Sci Rep 2018; 8:8763. [PMID: 29884895 PMCID: PMC5993776 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27037-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydrogel microparticles were copolymerized with surface-immobilized DNA. Particles derived from a microfluidic device and particles derived from mechanical homogenization were compared. The hypothesis was tested that a controlled droplet generation mechanism would produce more homogeneous particles. Surprisingly, the DNA content of both particle types was similarly inhomogeneous. To make this test possible, a simple, low cost, and rapid method was developed to fabricate a microfluidic chip for droplet generation and in-line polymerization. This method used a low-cost laser cutter ($400) and direct heat bonding (no adhesives or intermediate layers). The flow focusing droplet generator produced droplets and hydrogel particles 10-200 μm in diameter.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Md Mamunul Islam
- University of Idaho, Department of Chemistry, 875 Perimeter Dr., Moscow, ID, 83844-2343, USA
| | - Amanda Loewen
- University of Idaho, Department of Chemistry, 875 Perimeter Dr., Moscow, ID, 83844-2343, USA
| | - Peter B Allen
- University of Idaho, Department of Chemistry, 875 Perimeter Dr., Moscow, ID, 83844-2343, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Dagkesamanskaya A, Langer K, Tauzin AS, Rouzeau C, Lestrade D, Potocki-Veronese G, Boitard L, Bibette J, Baudry J, Pompon D, Anton-Leberre V. Use of photoswitchable fluorescent proteins for droplet-based microfluidic screening. J Microbiol Methods 2018; 147:59-65. [PMID: 29518436 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2018.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Revised: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Application of droplet-based microfluidics for the screening of microbial libraries is one of the important ongoing developments in functional genomics/metagenomics. In this article, we propose a new method that can be employed for high-throughput profiling of cell growth. It consists of light-driven labelling droplets that contain growing cells directly in a microfluidics observation chamber, followed by recovery of the labelled cells. This method is based on intracellular expression of green-to-red switchable fluorescent proteins. The proof of concept is established here for two commonly used biological models, E. coli and S. cerevisiae. Growth of cells in droplets was monitored under a microscope and, depending on the targeted phenotype, the fluorescence of selected droplets was switched from a "green" to a "red" state. Red fluorescent cells from labelled droplets were then successfully detected, sorted with the Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting machine and recovered. Finally, the application of this method for different kind of screenings, in particular of metagenomic libraries, is discussed and this idea is validated by the analysis of a model mini-library.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Krzysztof Langer
- Laboratoire Colloïdes et Matériaux Divisés, the Institute of Chemistry, Biology and Innovation (CBI) - ESPCI ParisTech, CNRS - UMR 8231, PSL* Research University, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, France
| | | | | | | | | | - Laurent Boitard
- Laboratoire Colloïdes et Matériaux Divisés, the Institute of Chemistry, Biology and Innovation (CBI) - ESPCI ParisTech, CNRS - UMR 8231, PSL* Research University, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Jérôme Bibette
- Laboratoire Colloïdes et Matériaux Divisés, the Institute of Chemistry, Biology and Innovation (CBI) - ESPCI ParisTech, CNRS - UMR 8231, PSL* Research University, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Jean Baudry
- Laboratoire Colloïdes et Matériaux Divisés, the Institute of Chemistry, Biology and Innovation (CBI) - ESPCI ParisTech, CNRS - UMR 8231, PSL* Research University, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Denis Pompon
- LISBP, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRA, INSA, Toulouse, France
| | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Efficient molecular evolution to generate enantioselective enzymes using a dual-channel microfluidic droplet screening platform. Nat Commun 2018. [PMID: 29531246 PMCID: PMC5847605 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03492-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Directed evolution has long been a key strategy to generate enzymes with desired properties like high selectivity, but experimental barriers and analytical costs of screening enormous mutant libraries have limited such efforts. Here, we describe an ultrahigh-throughput dual-channel microfluidic droplet screening system that can be used to screen up to ~107 enzyme variants per day. As an example case, we use the system to engineer the enantioselectivity of an esterase to preferentially produce desired enantiomers of profens, an important class of anti-inflammatory drugs. Using two types of screening working modes over the course of five rounds of directed evolution, we identify (from among 5 million mutants) a variant with 700-fold improved enantioselectivity for the desired (S)-profens. We thus demonstrate that this screening platform can be used to rapidly generate enzymes with desired enzymatic properties like enantiospecificity, chemospecificity, and regiospecificity. Optimizing an enzyme usually requires testing thousands of variants, thus consuming large amounts of material and time. Here, the authors present a method that allows for measuring two different activities of the same enzyme simultaneously instead of doing two consecutive rounds of screening.
Collapse
|
37
|
Bunzel HA, Garrabou X, Pott M, Hilvert D. Speeding up enzyme discovery and engineering with ultrahigh-throughput methods. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2018; 48:149-156. [PMID: 29413955 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2017.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 12/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Exploring the sequence space of enzyme catalysts is ultimately a numbers game. Ultrahigh-throughput screening methods for rapid analysis of millions of variants are therefore increasingly important for investigating sequence-function relationships, searching large metagenomic libraries for interesting activities, and accelerating enzyme evolution in the laboratory. Recent applications of such technologies are reviewed here, with a particular focus on the practical benefits of droplet-based microfluidics for the directed evolution of natural and artificial enzymes. Broader implementation of such rapid, cost-effective screening technologies is likely to redefine the way enzymes are studied and engineered for academic and industrial purposes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hans Adrian Bunzel
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zurich, Zurich CH-8093, Switzerland
| | - Xavier Garrabou
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zurich, Zurich CH-8093, Switzerland
| | - Moritz Pott
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zurich, Zurich CH-8093, Switzerland
| | - Donald Hilvert
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zurich, Zurich CH-8093, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Caen O, Schütz S, Jammalamadaka MSS, Vrignon J, Nizard P, Schneider TM, Baret JC, Taly V. High-throughput multiplexed fluorescence-activated droplet sorting. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2018; 4:33. [PMID: 31057921 PMCID: PMC6220162 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-018-0033-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Fluorescence-activated droplet sorting (FADS) is one of the most important features provided by droplet-based microfluidics. However, to date, it does not allow to compete with the high-throughput multiplexed sorting capabilities offered by flow cytometery. Here, we demonstrate the use of a dielectrophoretic-based FADS, allowing to sort up to five different droplet populations simultaneously. Our system provides means to select droplets of different phenotypes in a single experimental run to separate initially heterogeneous populations. Our experimental results are rationalized with the help of a numerical model of the actuation of droplets in electric fields providing guidelines for the prediction of sorting designs for upscaled or downscaled microsystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ouriel Caen
- INSERM UMR-S1147, CNRS SNC5014, Paris Descartes University, Equipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le cancer, Paris, France
| | - Simon Schütz
- Emergent Complexity in Physical Systems Laboratory (ECPS), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - M. S. Suryateja Jammalamadaka
- INSERM UMR-S1147, CNRS SNC5014, Paris Descartes University, Equipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le cancer, Paris, France
| | - Jérémy Vrignon
- CNRS, University Bordeaux, CRPP, UMR 5031, 115 Avenue Schweitzer, 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Philippe Nizard
- INSERM UMR-S1147, CNRS SNC5014, Paris Descartes University, Equipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le cancer, Paris, France
| | - Tobias M. Schneider
- Emergent Complexity in Physical Systems Laboratory (ECPS), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Christophe Baret
- CNRS, University Bordeaux, CRPP, UMR 5031, 115 Avenue Schweitzer, 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Valérie Taly
- INSERM UMR-S1147, CNRS SNC5014, Paris Descartes University, Equipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le cancer, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Qiao Y, Zhao X, Zhu J, Tu R, Dong L, Wang L, Dong Z, Wang Q, Du W. Fluorescence-activated droplet sorting of lipolytic microorganisms using a compact optical system. LAB ON A CHIP 2017; 18:190-196. [PMID: 29227495 DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00993c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Lipases are ubiquitous enzymes of great physiological significance that have been used extensively in multiple industries. Environmental microorganisms are a major source for the discovery of novel lipases with high catalytic efficiency and selectivity. However, current plate-based screening of lipase-producing strains is time consuming, labour intensive and inefficient. In this study, we developed an ultra-high throughput screening pipeline for lipase-producing strains based on fluorescence-activated droplet sorting (FADS) using a compact optical system that could be easily set up in an alignment-free manner. The pipeline includes droplet generation, droplet incubation, picoinjection of the fluorescence probe, and sorting of droplets with a throughput of 2 × 106 drops per h. We applied the pipeline to screen samples collected from different locations, including sediments from a hot spring in Tibet, soils from the Zoige wetland, contaminated soils from an abandoned oilfield, and a Chinese Daqu starter. In total, we obtained 47 lipase-producing bacterial strains belonging to seven genera, including Staphylococcus, Bacillus, Enterobacter, Serratia, Prolinoborus, Acinetobacter, and Leclercia. We believe that this FADS-based pipeline could be extended to screen various enzymes from the environment, and may find wide applications in breeding of industrial microorganisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuxin Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Abatemarco J, Sarhan MF, Wagner JM, Lin JL, Liu L, Hassouneh W, Yuan SF, Alper HS, Abate AR. RNA-aptamers-in-droplets (RAPID) high-throughput screening for secretory phenotypes. Nat Commun 2017; 8:332. [PMID: 28835641 PMCID: PMC5569033 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00425-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biology and metabolic engineering seek to re-engineer microbes into "living foundries" for the production of high value chemicals. Through a "design-build-test" cycle paradigm, massive libraries of genetically engineered microbes can be constructed and tested for metabolite overproduction and secretion. However, library generation capacity outpaces the rate of high-throughput testing and screening. Well plate assays are flexible but with limited throughput, whereas droplet microfluidic techniques are ultrahigh-throughput but require a custom assay for each target. Here we present RNA-aptamers-in-droplets (RAPID), a method that greatly expands the generality of ultrahigh-throughput microfluidic screening. Using aptamers, we transduce extracellular product titer into fluorescence, allowing ultrahigh-throughput screening of millions of variants. We demonstrate the RAPID approach by enhancing production of tyrosine and secretion of a recombinant protein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by up to 28- and 3-fold, respectively. Aptamers-in-droplets affords a general approach for evolving microbes to synthesize and secrete value-added chemicals.Screening libraries of genetically engineered microbes for secreted products is limited by the available assay throughput. Here the authors combine aptamer-based fluorescent detection with droplet microfluidics to achieve high throughput screening of yeast strains engineered for enhanced tyrosine or streptavidin production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Abatemarco
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 200 E Dean Keeton St Stop C0400, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
| | - Maen F Sarhan
- Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, 94158, California, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, 94158, California, USA
| | - James M Wagner
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 200 E Dean Keeton St Stop C0400, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
| | - Jyun-Liang Lin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 200 E Dean Keeton St Stop C0400, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
| | - Leqian Liu
- Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, 94158, California, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, 94158, California, USA
| | - Wafa Hassouneh
- Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, 94158, California, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, 94158, California, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, 94158, California, USA
| | - Shuo-Fu Yuan
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 2500 Speedway Avenue, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
| | - Hal S Alper
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 200 E Dean Keeton St Stop C0400, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA.
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 2500 Speedway Avenue, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA.
| | - Adam R Abate
- Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, 94158, California, USA.
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, 94158, California, USA.
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, 94158, California, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Enabling tools for high-throughput detection of metabolites: Metabolic engineering and directed evolution applications. Biotechnol Adv 2017; 35:950-970. [PMID: 28723577 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2017.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Revised: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Within the Design-Build-Test Cycle for strain engineering, rapid product detection and selection strategies remain challenging and limit overall throughput. Here we summarize a wide variety of modalities that transduce chemical concentrations into easily measured absorbance, luminescence, and fluorescence signals. Specifically, we cover protein-based biosensors (including transcription factors), nucleic acid-based biosensors, coupled enzyme reactions, bioorthogonal chemistry, and fluorescent and chromogenic dyes and substrates as modalities for detection. We focus on the use of these methods for strain engineering and enzyme discovery and conclude with remarks on the current and future state of biosensor development for application in the metabolic engineering field.
Collapse
|
42
|
Autour A, Ryckelynck M. Ultrahigh-Throughput Improvement and Discovery of Enzymes Using Droplet-Based Microfluidic Screening. MICROMACHINES 2017. [PMCID: PMC6189954 DOI: 10.3390/mi8040128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Enzymes are extremely valuable tools for industrial, environmental, and biotechnological applications and there is a constant need for improving existing biological catalysts and for discovering new ones. Screening microbe or gene libraries is an efficient way of identifying new enzymes. In this view, droplet-based microfluidics appears to be one of the most powerful approaches as it allows inexpensive screenings in well-controlled conditions and an ultrahigh-throughput regime. This review aims to introduce the main microfluidic devices and concepts to be considered for such screening before presenting and discussing the latest successful applications of the technology for enzyme discovery.
Collapse
|
43
|
Mair P, Gielen F, Hollfelder F. Exploring sequence space in search of functional enzymes using microfluidic droplets. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2017; 37:137-144. [PMID: 28390246 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2017.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2017] [Revised: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Screening of enzyme mutants in monodisperse picoliter compartments, generated at kilohertz speed in microfluidic devices, is coming of age. After a decade of proof-of-principle experiments, workflows have emerged that combine existing microfluidic modules to assay reaction progress quantitatively and yield improved enzymes. Recent examples of the screening of libraries of randomised proteins and from metagenomic sources suggest that this approach is not only faster and cheaper, but solves problems beyond the feasibility scope of current methodologies. The establishment of new assays in this format - so far covering hydrolases, aldolases, polymerases and dehydrogenases - will enable the exploration of sequence space for new catalysts of natural and non-natural chemical transformations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philip Mair
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Fabrice Gielen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK; Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Florian Hollfelder
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Vervoort Y, Linares AG, Roncoroni M, Liu C, Steensels J, Verstrepen KJ. High-throughput system-wide engineering and screening for microbial biotechnology. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2017; 46:120-125. [PMID: 28346890 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2017.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Revised: 02/06/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Genetic engineering and screening of large number of cells or populations is a crucial bottleneck in today's systems biology and applied (micro)biology. Instead of using standard methods in bottles, flasks or 96-well plates, scientists are increasingly relying on high-throughput strategies that miniaturize their experiments to the nanoliter and picoliter scale and the single-cell level. In this review, we summarize different high-throughput system-wide genome engineering and screening strategies for microbes. More specifically, we will emphasize the use of multiplex automated genome evolution (MAGE) and CRISPR/Cas systems for high-throughput genome engineering and the application of (lab-on-chip) nanoreactors for high-throughput single-cell or population screening.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yannick Vervoort
- Laboratory for Systems Biology, VIB Center for Microbiology, Gaston Geenslaan 1, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium; Laboratory for Genetics and Genomics, KU Leuven, Gaston Geenslaan 1, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium; Imec Life Science Technologies, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alicia Gutiérrez Linares
- Laboratory for Systems Biology, VIB Center for Microbiology, Gaston Geenslaan 1, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium; Laboratory for Genetics and Genomics, KU Leuven, Gaston Geenslaan 1, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Miguel Roncoroni
- Laboratory for Systems Biology, VIB Center for Microbiology, Gaston Geenslaan 1, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium; Laboratory for Genetics and Genomics, KU Leuven, Gaston Geenslaan 1, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Chengxun Liu
- Imec Life Science Technologies, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jan Steensels
- Laboratory for Systems Biology, VIB Center for Microbiology, Gaston Geenslaan 1, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium; Laboratory for Genetics and Genomics, KU Leuven, Gaston Geenslaan 1, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kevin J Verstrepen
- Laboratory for Systems Biology, VIB Center for Microbiology, Gaston Geenslaan 1, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium; Laboratory for Genetics and Genomics, KU Leuven, Gaston Geenslaan 1, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Xi HD, Zheng H, Guo W, Gañán-Calvo AM, Ai Y, Tsao CW, Zhou J, Li W, Huang Y, Nguyen NT, Tan SH. Active droplet sorting in microfluidics: a review. LAB ON A CHIP 2017; 17:751-771. [PMID: 28197601 DOI: 10.1039/c6lc01435f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 174] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The ability to manipulate and sort droplets is a fundamental issue in droplet-based microfluidics. Various lab-on-a-chip applications can only be realized if droplets are systematically categorized and sorted. These micron-sized droplets act as ideal reactors which compartmentalize different biological and chemical reagents. Array processing of these droplets hinges on the competence of the sorting and integration into the fluidic system. Recent technological advances only allow droplets to be actively sorted at the rate of kilohertz or less. In this review, we present state-of-the-art technologies which are implemented to efficiently sort droplets. We classify the concepts according to the type of energy implemented into the system. We also discuss various key issues and provide insights into various systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heng-Dong Xi
- School of Aeronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 127 West Youyi Rd., Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hao Zheng
- School of Aeronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 127 West Youyi Rd., Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Wei Guo
- School of Aeronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 127 West Youyi Rd., Xi'an, Shaanxi, China and Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia.
| | - Alfonso M Gañán-Calvo
- Depto. de Ingeniería Aeroespacial y Mecánica de Fluidos, Universidad de Sevilla, E-41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Ye Ai
- Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore
| | - Chia-Wen Tsao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Central University, No. 300, Zhongda Rd, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Jun Zhou
- School of Information and Communication Technology, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Weihua Li
- School of Mechanical, Materials and Mechatronic Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Yanyi Huang
- Biodynamic Optical Imaging Center, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Nam-Trung Nguyen
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia.
| | - Say Hwa Tan
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Microfluidic droplet platform for ultrahigh-throughput single-cell screening of biodiversity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:2550-2555. [PMID: 28202731 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1621226114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultrahigh-throughput screening (uHTS) techniques can identify unique functionality from millions of variants. To mimic the natural selection mechanisms that occur by compartmentalization in vivo, we developed a technique based on single-cell encapsulation in droplets of a monodisperse microfluidic double water-in-oil-in-water emulsion (MDE). Biocompatible MDE enables in-droplet cultivation of different living species. The combination of droplet-generating machinery with FACS followed by next-generation sequencing and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the secretomes of encapsulated organisms yielded detailed genotype/phenotype descriptions. This platform was probed with uHTS for biocatalysts anchored to yeast with enrichment close to the theoretically calculated limit and cell-to-cell interactions. MDE-FACS allowed the identification of human butyrylcholinesterase mutants that undergo self-reactivation after inhibition by the organophosphorus agent paraoxon. The versatility of the platform allowed the identification of bacteria, including slow-growing oral microbiota species that suppress the growth of a common pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus, and predicted which genera were associated with inhibitory activity.
Collapse
|
47
|
Ultrahigh-throughput-directed enzyme evolution by absorbance-activated droplet sorting (AADS). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:E7383-E7389. [PMID: 27821774 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1606927113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultrahigh-throughput screening, in which members of enzyme libraries compartmentalized in water-in-oil emulsion droplets are assayed, has emerged as a powerful format for directed evolution and functional metagenomics but is currently limited to fluorescence readouts. Here we describe a highly efficient microfluidic absorbance-activated droplet sorter (AADS) that extends the range of assays amenable to this approach. Using this module, microdroplets can be sorted based on absorbance readout at rates of up to 300 droplets per second (i.e., >1 million droplets per hour). To validate this device, we implemented a miniaturized coupled assay for NAD+-dependent amino acid dehydrogenases. The detection limit (10 μM in a coupled assay producing a formazan dye) enables accurate kinetic readouts sensitive enough to detect a minimum of 1,300 turnovers per enzyme molecule, expressed in a single cell, and released by lysis within a droplet. Sorting experiments showed that the AADS successfully enriched active variants up to 2,800-fold from an overwhelming majority of inactive ones at ∼100 Hz. To demonstrate the utility of this module for protein engineering, two rounds of directed evolution were performed to improve the activity of phenylalanine dehydrogenase toward its native substrate. Fourteen hits showed increased activity (improved >4.5-fold in lysate; kcat increased >2.7-fold), soluble protein expression levels (up 60%), and thermostability (Tm, 12 °C higher). The AADS module makes the most widely used optical detection format amenable to screens of unprecedented size, paving the way for the implementation of chromogenic assays in droplet microfluidics workflows.
Collapse
|
48
|
DeCastro ME, Rodríguez-Belmonte E, González-Siso MI. Metagenomics of Thermophiles with a Focus on Discovery of Novel Thermozymes. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1521. [PMID: 27729905 PMCID: PMC5037290 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial populations living in environments with temperatures above 50°C (thermophiles) have been widely studied, increasing our knowledge in the composition and function of these ecological communities. Since these populations express a broad number of heat-resistant enzymes (thermozymes), they also represent an important source for novel biocatalysts that can be potentially used in industrial processes. The integrated study of the whole-community DNA from an environment, known as metagenomics, coupled with the development of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, has allowed the generation of large amounts of data from thermophiles. In this review, we summarize the main approaches commonly utilized for assessing the taxonomic and functional diversity of thermophiles through metagenomics, including several bioinformatics tools and some metagenome-derived methods to isolate their thermozymes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- María-Eugenia DeCastro
- Grupo EXPRELA, Centro de Investigacións Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Departamento de Bioloxía Celular e Molecular, Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade da Coruña A Coruña, Spain
| | - Esther Rodríguez-Belmonte
- Grupo EXPRELA, Centro de Investigacións Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Departamento de Bioloxía Celular e Molecular, Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade da Coruña A Coruña, Spain
| | - María-Isabel González-Siso
- Grupo EXPRELA, Centro de Investigacións Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Departamento de Bioloxía Celular e Molecular, Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade da Coruña A Coruña, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Periyannan Rajeswari PK, Joensson HN, Andersson-Svahn H. Droplet size influences division of mammalian cell factories in droplet microfluidic cultivation. Electrophoresis 2016; 38:305-310. [PMID: 27535608 DOI: 10.1002/elps.201600316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2016] [Revised: 08/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The potential of using droplet microfluidics for screening mammalian cell factories has been limited by the difficulty in achieving continuous cell division during cultivation in droplets. Here, we report the influence of droplet size on mammalian cell division and viability during cultivation in droplets. Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells, the most widely used mammalian host cells for biopharmaceuticals production were encapsulated and cultivated in 33, 180 and 320 pL droplets for 3 days. Periodic monitoring of the droplets during incubation showed that the cell divisions in 33 pL droplets stopped after 24 h, whereas continuous cell division was observed in 180 and 320 pL droplets for 72 h. The viability of the cells cultivated in the 33 pL droplets also dropped to about 50% in 72 h. In contrast, the viability of the cells in the larger droplets was above 90% even after 72 h of cultivation, making them a more suitable droplet size for 72-h cultivation. This study shows a direct correlation of microfluidic droplet size to the division and viability of mammalian cells. This highlights the importance of selecting suitable droplet size for mammalian cell factory screening assays.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Prem Kumar Periyannan Rajeswari
- Division of Proteomics and Nanobiotechnology, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Haakan N Joensson
- Division of Proteomics and Nanobiotechnology, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.,Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Helene Andersson-Svahn
- Division of Proteomics and Nanobiotechnology, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.,Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Obexer R, Pott M, Zeymer C, Griffiths AD, Hilvert D. Efficient laboratory evolution of computationally designed enzymes with low starting activities using fluorescence-activated droplet sorting. Protein Eng Des Sel 2016; 29:355-66. [DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzw032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 06/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
|