Name: microfluidic co-culture of epithelial cells and bacteria for investigating soluble signal-mediated interactions
Uploaded: 2010-04-20T17:03:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Microfluidic Co-culture of Epithelial Cells and Bacteria for Investigating Soluble Signal-mediated Interactions at JoVE.com

This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation (CBET 0846453) and the National Institutes of Health (1R01GM089999).

1. Fabrication of silicon masters using standard SU-8 photolithography1 (not shown in this video).
<ol>
 <li> Use standard SU-8 photolithography methods to create a SU-8 &quot;masters&quot; (SU-8 2050, MicroChem, Newton, MA) for fabricating the different components (PDMS membranes of different thickness, co-culture chamber) in a cleanroom. Such master molds can be fabricated at any microfabrication facility (e.g., Stanford Microfluidics Foundry; <a href="http://thebigone.stanford.edu/foundry/">...

<ol>
	<li>McDonald, J. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Prototyping+of+microfluidic+devices+in+poly(dimethylsiloxane)+using+solid-object+printing.">Prototyping of microfluidic devices in poly(dimethylsiloxane) using solid-object printing.</a> Anal Chem. 74, 1537-1545 (2002).</li><li>Jeon, N. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Design+and+fabrication+of+integrated+passive+valves+and+pumps+for+flexible+polymer+3-dimensional+microfluidic+systems.">Design and fabrication of integrated passive valves and pumps for flexible polymer 3-dimensional microfluidic systems.</a> Biomed Microdevices. 4, 117-121 (2002).</li><li>Baek, J. Y., Park, J. Y., Ju, J. I., Lee, T. S., Lee, S. H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+pneumatically+controllable+flexible+and+polymeric+microfluidic+valve+fabricated+via+in+situ+development.">A pneumatically controllable flexible and polymeric microfluidic valve fabricated via in situ development.</a> J Micromech Microeng. 15, 1015-1020 (2005).</li><li>Grover, W. H., Ivester, R. H., Jensen, E. C., Mathies, R. A., A, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Development+and+multiplexed+control+of+latching+pneumatic+valves+using+microfluidic+logical+structures.">Development and multiplexed control of latching pneumatic valves using microfluidic logical structures.</a> Lab Chip. 6, 623-631 (2006).</li><li>Lee, J., Jayaraman, A., Wood, T. K., K, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Indole+is+an+inter-species+biofilm+signal+mediated+by+SdiA.">Indole is an inter-species biofilm signal mediated by SdiA.</a> BMC Microbiol. 7, 42-42 (2007).</li><li>Hsu, C. H., Folch, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Microfluidic+devices+with+tunable+topographies.">Microfluidic devices with tunable topographies.</a> Appl Phys Lett. 86, 023508-023508 (2005).</li><li>Hui, E. E., Bhatia, S. N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Micromechanical+control+of+cell-cell+interactions.">Micromechanical control of cell-cell interactions.</a> Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 104, 5722-5726 (2007).</li><li>Lee, J. Y. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Integrating+sensing+hydrogel+microstructures+into+micropatterned+hepatocellular+cocultures.">Integrating sensing hydrogel microstructures into micropatterned hepatocellular cocultures.</a> Langmuir. 25, 3880-3886 (2009).</li><li>Kim, J., Hegde, M., Jayaraman, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Co-culture+of+epithelial+cells+and+bacteria+for+investigating+host-pathogen+interactions.">Co-culture of epithelial cells and bacteria for investigating host-pathogen interactions.</a> Lab-on-Chip. , (2009).</li></ol>

Conventional assays for pathogen attachment and colonization utilize a monolayer of eukaryotic cells in tissue culture plates into which pathogens are added. These models are not physiologically relevant as they do not incorporate a commensal bacterial biofilm developed on eukaryotic cells. Simple addition of a pre-grown bacterial culture to eukaryotic cells is unlikely to lead to this conformation as biofilms are highly organized structures that develop over time, and it is extremely difficult, if not virtually impossib...

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		<thead>
		<tr>
		<th>Material Name</th>
		<th>Type</th>
		<th>Company</th>
		<th>Catalogue Number</th>
		<th>Comment</th>
		</tr>
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		<tbody>
		
<tr>
<td>SU-8 2050</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Microchem Corp, MA</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>high-resolution (16,256 dpi) photolithography mask</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Fineline-Imaging Inc, CO</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Trichloro(3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,8-tridecafluorooctyl)silane</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
<td>77279</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>PDMS</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Dow Corning, WI</td>
<td>184 SIL ELAST KIT 0.5KG</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>DMEM</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
<td>SH30002.02</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Programmable spin coater</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Laurell Tech Corp</td>
<td>WS0650S</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Mask aligner</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Neutronix-Quintel, PA</td>
<td>Q4000</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Oxygen plasma etcher</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>March Plasma System, CA</td>
<td>CS-1701</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Syringe pump</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Harvard Apparatus, MA</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Live/Dead Viability/Cytotoxicity Kit</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Invitrogen</td>
<td>L-3224</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>		</tbody>
		</table>
		</div>

microfluidic co-culture of epithelial cells and bacteria for investigating soluble signal-mediated interactions

The human gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a unique environment in which intestinal epithelial cells and non-pathogenic (commensal) bacteria coexist. It has been proposed that the microenvironment that the pathogen encounters in the commensal layer is important in determining the extent of colonization. Current culture methods for investigating pathogen colonization are not well suited for investigating this hypothesis as they do not enable co-culture of bacteria and epithelial cells in a manner that mimics the GI tract microenvironment. Here we describe a microfluidic co-culture model that enables independent culture of eukaryotic cells and bacteria, and testing the effect of the commensal microenvironment on pathogen colonization. The co-culture model is demonstrated by developing a commensal Escherichia coli biofilm among HeLa cells, followed by introduction of enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) into the commensal island, in a sequence that mimics the sequence of events in GI tract infection.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Microfluidic Co-culture of Epithelial Cells and Bacteria for Investigating Soluble Signal-mediated Interactions at JoVE.com

Microfluidic Co-culture of Epithelial Cells and Bacteria for Investigating Soluble Signal-mediated Interactions

This protocol describes a microfluidic co-culture model for simultaneous and localized culture of epithelial cells and bacteria. This model can be used for investigating the role of different soluble molecular signals on pathogenesis as well as screen the effectiveness of putative probiotic bacterial strains.

The human gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a unique environment in which intestinal epithelial cells and non-pathogenic (commensal) bacteria coexist. It has ...

Research

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