We acknowledge financial support from the Department of Bioengineering at Imperial College London and The Leverhulme Trust (Research Grant Reference: RPG-2020-352).

NOTE: A summary of the procedures outlined in this protocol are visually depicted in Figure 2.
<img alt="Figure 2" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/63917/63917fig02.jpg" /> 
Figure 2: Schematic representation of the presented methodology consisting of five major sections detailed in this protocol. Device designs are created using computer aided design (CAD) softwar...

This article presents a protocol for the study of fungal-microbial interactions using channel microfluidics. The authors aim to demonstrate the versatility of these devices and encourage adaptation to suit the researcher&#39;s interests. Using the exemplar BFI and FFI devices, fungal-microbial interactions can be studied in more detail than previously accessible. By removing the background complexity and heterogeneity of the soil, moderating the growth of hyphae such that they are confined to a single monolayer, and tigh...

Soil is an exceptionally diverse environment containing an abundance of microorganisms that are instrumental to carbon and phosphorous cycles1,2. Filamentous fungi are a major component of numerous ecosystems as decomposers of organic and inorganic matter and can enhance the nutrition of plants through the formation of symbiotic relationships3,4. Within soil, fungi interact dynamically with a multitude of microbes such as other fungi5, bacteria6, viruses7 and nematodes8. These interactions have significant consequences for soil and plant health. Yet, owing to a lack of appropriate experimental systems capable of imaging interacting microorganisms with high-resolution, many remain undefined.
Investigations concerning bacterial-fungal interactions (BFIs) and fungal-fungal interactions (FFIs) have valuable applications in a range of fields, including antimicrobials in medicine and biological control agents in agriculture. For example, the fungus Coprinopsis cinerea produces the peptide copsin, which has been shown to exhibit antibacterial activity against the human pathogen Listeria monocytogenes9. Similarly, the fungal-derived compound, griseofulvin, is widely used as a treatment for human fungal infections and is additionally able to inhibit the growth of the plant pathogenic fungus Alternaria solani10,11. Several strains of the soil-dwelling bacterium Bacillus subtilis have also been demonstrated to be effective biocontrol agents of the fungal plant pathogen Rhizoctonia solani12,13. Nonetheless, due to limitations associated with traditional methodologies, BFIs and FFIs are poorly understood at the level of single cells.
Conventional studies typically explore BFIs and FFIs on the macroscale using agar plates with two or more species in confrontation. Their interaction is assessed by measuring growth rates and metabolite production of the confronting species14,15,16; however, this methodology is only resolved to the colony level. To study interactions at the cellular level, bacterial and fungal inoculants can be cultivated on glass microscope slides coated with agar that are then imaged under a microscope17. Nevertheless, it can be difficult to follow a single hypha using microscope slides due to a lack of confinement, meaning time-lapse images are harder to obtain. Further, the opportunity to spatially confine other microorganisms within defined regions of the fungal mycelium or create defined chemical environments that can be perturbed, for example, is not possible in such set-ups. The &#34;black box&#34; nature of soil also adds to the complexity of studying fungal-microbial interactions at the level of single cells18. By observing interacting species away from the incredible diversity of the soil microbiome, the exact manner by which individual members interact can be assessed. Thus, there is a continued need for versatile platforms that enable high-resolution, single-cell imaging of BFIs and FFIs.
Microfluidic technologies, so-called lab-on-a-chip systems, provide an ideal platform for the study of BFIs and FFIs at the level of single cells. The field of microfluidics, originating from technologies developed for chemical analysis and microelectronics, has been adopted by the biological sciences19. Microfluidic technologies regulate small volumes of fluids within a bespoke network of miniaturised channels, having at least one dimension on the micrometre scale, and their use in biological research is expanding20. In particular, microfluidic devices have been developed to examine the growth of filamentous fungi21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30. One benefit of using this technology is that the confinement of hyphae and the distribution of nutrients within microchannels more closely resembles the structure of the soil environment than conventional agar methods31. Recently, microfluidic platforms have been used to investigate interactions between human neutrophils and fungal pathogens32, bacteria and plant roots33, as well as fungi and nematodes34,35.
One of the many advantages of using microfluidics for studying microbial interactions includes the specific control of the microchannel environment. For instance, laminar flow regimes can be exploited to generate defined concentration gradients, which is especially useful when examining bacterial chemotaxis36. Another advantage is that the transparent nature of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), an inexpensive, biocompatible elastomeric polymer commonly used in the manufacture of microfluidic devices, facilitates high-resolution imaging of single cells using brightfield and fluorescence microscopy37. Likewise, the confinement of microbes within microchannels means that time-lapse experiments tracking single cells can be performed, allowing individual cellular responses to be recorded and quantified37. Lastly, as microfluidic devices can be designed to be user-friendly, they can be easily employed by non-experts38.
Furthering knowledge of the interactions between soil-dwelling microorganisms is important for improving sustainable ecosystem management practises that maintain biodiversity and to mitigate the impact of climate change on terrestrial environments39. Thus, the development of novel microfluidic tools is fundamental to expand understanding of fungi and their interactions at the cellular level. The protocol here will focus on two microfluidic devices produced for the study of BFIs40&#160;and FFIs41&#160;as represented in Figure 1.
<img alt="Figure 1" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/63917/63917fig01.jpg" /> 
Figure 1: Visual and schematic representation of the bacterial-fungal interaction (BFI) and fungal-fungal interaction (FFI) devices. (A) Image of the BFI device. A mycelial plug is placed at the entrance to one end of the microchannels to allow hyphal growth into the device. The bacterial inlet is at the opposite end. Scale bar = 5 mm. (B) Schematic overview of the BFI device, depicting the positioning of the bacterial inlets and direction of hyphal growth through the interaction microchannels. The channels are 10 &#181;m in depth, 100 &#181;m wide, and 7 mm long, with 28 observation channels in total. (C) Confrontation assay on agar plate between Coprinopsis cinerea and Bacillus subtilis NCIB 3610, scale bar = 20 mm (left). Microscopy images showing the interaction between C. cinerea and B. subtilis NCIB 3610 within the microchannel (middle and right), i.e., polar attachment of bacteria to fungal hyphae. Scale bar = 25 &#181;m (middle) and 10 &#181;m (right). (D) Image of the FFI device bonded to a glass-bottomed Petri dish, dual inoculated with mycelial plugs. Scale bar = 1 cm. (E) Schematic overview of the FFI device. Two fungal inoculant plugs are introduced into the inlets at either end of the device, permitting hyphal exploration of the microchannels. Control channels are connected to one fungal inlet only and have a dead-end channel, preventing interactions between the test fungi. Interaction channels connect both fungal inlets and permit hyphal interactions between the test subjects within the microchannel. Each interaction channel consists of 18 diamond-shaped sections, measuring a total length of 8.8 mm (490 x 430 &#181;m per diamond), 10 &#181;m deep, and having a connecting region between each diamond of 20 &#181;m. Channel types are duplicated, scale bars = 1 mm. (F) Interaction zone between two approaching hyphal fronts, growing from opposite ends of the interconnected interaction channel. Phase contrast microscopy image, scale bar = 250 &#181;m. The panels in this figure have been modified from Stanley et al., 2014 (A-C)40 and Gimeno et al., 2021 (D-F)41. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/63917/63917fig01large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Agar</td>
			<td>Difco Laboratories</td>
			<td>214010</td>
			<td>Used to solidify culture medium for bacterial and fungal cultivation within Petri dishes</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Aluminum foil</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific Ltd</td>
			<td>11759408</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>AutoCAD 2021</td>
			<td>Autodesk, USA</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Autoclave (VX-75)</td>
			<td>Systec</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Centrifuge (5810R)</td>
			<td>Eppendorf</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Chlorotrimethysilane</td>
			<td>Merck Life Sciences</td>
			<td>386529</td>
			<td>CAUTION: Chlorotrimethylsilane is a hazardous substance. Wear appropriate PPE and handle with care. Avoid contact with skin and eyes and prevent inhalation. Keep away from sources of ignition and use in a well-ventilated area.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cork borer</td>
			<td>SLS</td>
			<td>COR1000</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Developer solution (mr-Dev 600)</td>
			<td>Microresist Technologies</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>CAUTION: mr-Dev 600 developer solution is flammable</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Erlenmeyer flasks</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>214-1108</td>
			<td>e.g. 200 mL; choose size to suit your exact needs</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ethanol (70% v/v)&#160;</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific Ltd</td>
			<td>E/0650DF/15</td>
			<td>Diluted from 99.8% (Analytical Reagent Grade)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fiji</td>
			<td>ImageJ</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Exemplar software package for imaging processing</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Filtered, compressed air</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Available as standard in most labs. Altervatively, an oil-free compressor with air regulator can be used.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Flat-headed wafer tweezers</td>
			<td>SLS</td>
			<td>INS5026</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Forceps</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific Ltd</td>
			<td>10008051</td>
			<td>Bent, sharp</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glass bottom petri dish</td>
			<td>World Precision Instruments</td>
			<td>FD35-100</td>
			<td>35 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glass bottom petri dish</td>
			<td>World Precision Instruments</td>
			<td>FD5040-100</td>
			<td>50 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glass crystallisation dishes</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>216-1865</td>
			<td>Used for washing of PDMS slabs</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glass crystallisation dishes</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>216-1866</td>
			<td>Used in the development of master moulds</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glass media bottles</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific Ltd</td>
			<td>15456113</td>
			<td>e.g. 250 mL; choose size to suit your exact needs</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glass syringe (Hamilton)</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific Ltd</td>
			<td>10625251</td>
			<td>Used for dispensing chlorotrimethylsilane</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hot plate (HP 160 III BM)</td>
			<td>SAWATEC</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Inoculation loop</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>COPA175CS01</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Isopropyl alcohol</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>W292907</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Laminar flow hood</td>
			<td>Air Science (PCR)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Exemplar laminar flow hood used for device fabrication</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>LB medium</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific Ltd</td>
			<td>BP9723-500</td>
			<td>Exemplar nutrient broth for bacterial overnight culture</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Light emitting diode light engine (LedHUB)</td>
			<td>Omicron-Laserage Laserprodukte GmbH</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Exemplar light source that can be used for imaging fungal-microbial interactions (fluorescence)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>MA6 Ultraviolet mask aligner</td>
			<td>Suss Microtec</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Malt extract</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>84618</td>
			<td>Used to make exemplar fungal culture medium (Malt extract agar)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Mask Writer</td>
			<td>Applied Materials</td>
			<td>4700DP</td>
			<td>Example of a mask writer which can be used to print photo-mask for photolithography</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Master mould plastic mount</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>3D-printed bespoke holder manufactured in-house</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Microbiological safety cabinet&#160; (BioMat2)</td>
			<td>Contained Air Solutions</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Exemplar MSC used for microbial culture and device inoculation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Milli-Q purified water</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Available as standard in biology labs.&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NaOH</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific Ltd</td>
			<td>BP359-500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NIS-Elements Advanced Research imaging software</td>
			<td>Nikon</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Exemplar software package for image acquisition</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NIS-Elements Free Viewer</td>
			<td>Nikon</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Exemplar software package for viewing acquired images</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Oven (Binder BD115)</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific Ltd</td>
			<td>15602126</td>
			<td>Used for curing poly(dimethylsiloxane)(PDMS)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Oven (CLO-2AH-S)</td>
			<td>KOYO</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Used for preparing silicon wafers</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Parafilm</td>
			<td>Bemis</td>
			<td>HS234526B</td>
			<td>transparent film</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Petri dishes, square sterile</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific Ltd</td>
			<td>11708573</td>
			<td>120.5 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Petri dishes, sterile</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific Ltd</td>
			<td>15370366</td>
			<td>90 mm&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Photolithography mask</td>
			<td>Micro Lithography Services Ltd. UK</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Plasma cleaner (Zepto)</td>
			<td>Diener Electronic</td>
			<td>100012601</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Plastic cup</td>
			<td>Semadeni</td>
			<td>8323</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Plastic spatula</td>
			<td>Semadeni</td>
			<td>3340</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Portable precision balance (OHAUS Scout)</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific Ltd</td>
			<td>15519631</td>
			<td>Used for weighing PDMS, media components etc.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Precision cutter</td>
			<td>Syneo</td>
			<td>HS1251135P1183</td>
			<td>Cutting edge diameter: 3.18 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Precision cutter&#160;</td>
			<td>Syneo</td>
			<td>HS1871730P1183S</td>
			<td>Cutting edge diameter: 4.75 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Profilometer&#160;</td>
			<td>Bruker</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Dektak XT-stylus</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Razor blades</td>
			<td>H&#228;berle Labortechnik</td>
			<td>9156110</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Refridgerator</td>
			<td>Haden</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>4-6 &#176;C</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Retiga R1 CCD camera</td>
			<td>Qimaging</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Exemplar camera that can be used for imaging fungal-microbial interactions</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Scotch magic tape</td>
			<td>Office Depot</td>
			<td>3969954</td>
			<td>19 mm invisible tape; clear tape</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Shaking incubator (Cole-Parmer SI500)</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific Ltd</td>
			<td>10257954</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Silicon wafer</td>
			<td>Inseto</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>100 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Soda lime glass plate</td>
			<td>Inseto</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>125 mm x 125 mm x 2 mm. Used to hold photolithography mask in mask aligner</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium chloride</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>S7653</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Spincoater&#160;</td>
			<td>SAWATEC</td>
			<td>SM-180-BM</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>SU-8 2010 photoresist</td>
			<td>MicroChem</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>CAUTION: SU-8 photoresist is hazardous, take care when handling and prevent inhalation and contact with skin. Flammable, potentially carcinogenic and toxic to the environment.&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sylgard 184 elastomer kit</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>634165S</td>
			<td>Used for the preparation of poly(dimethylsiloxane)(PDMS) devices</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Temperature controlled incubator</td>
			<td>Okolab</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Exemplar incubator that can be used for imaging fungal-microbial interactions</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ti2-E inverted epifluorescence microscope</td>
			<td>Nikon</td>
			<td>MEA54000</td>
			<td>Exemplar microscope that can be used for imaging fungal-microbial interactions</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ultrasonic cleaner S-Line</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific Ltd</td>
			<td>FB15050</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Vacuum desiccator</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific Ltd</td>
			<td>10528861</td>
			<td>Silianisation and PDMS degassing should be conducted in separate desiccators</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>x10/0.3 NA CFI Plan Fluor DL objective lens</td>
			<td>Nikon</td>
			<td>MRH20105</td>
			<td>Exemplar objective lens that can be used for imaging fungal-microbial interactions</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>x20/0.45 NA CFI Plan Fluor DL objective lens</td>
			<td>Nikon</td>
			<td>MRH48230</td>
			<td>Exemplar objective lens that can be used for imaging fungal-microbial interactions</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

microfluidic tools for probing fungal-microbial interactions at the cellular level

Filamentous fungi are successful inhabitants of soil and play a major role in soil ecosystems, such as in the decomposition of organic and inorganic matter, as well as regulation of nutrient levels. There they also find numerous opportunities to interact with a variety of other microbes such as bacteria or other fungi. Studying fungal interactions at the cellular level, however, can be challenging owing to the black box-like nature of soil. New microfluidic tools are being developed for the study of fungal interactions; two platforms designed to study bacterial-fungal and fungal-fungal interactions are highlighted. Within these microchannels, fungal-microbial interactions can be monitored in controlled physico-chemical environments at higher temporal and spatial resolution than previously possible. Application of these tools have yielded numerous novel biological insights, such as the observation of bacterial polar attachment to hyphae or revealing uncharacterised fungal-fungal antagonisms. A key feature of these methodologies regards the ease of use of this tool by non-experts, yielding highly translatable technologies for use in microbiology labs.

Representative results are presented from the exemplar BFI40 and FFI41 devices. Hyphal growth rate measurements can easily be obtained using these devices in combination with basic microscopy techniques. Figure 3A-B illustrates bacterial-fungal interactions between C. cinerea hyphae and B. subtilis NCIB 3610. The presence of B. subtilis halts the growth of C. cinerea after ca...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Microfluidic Tools for Probing Fungal-Microbial Interactions at the Cellular Level at JoVE.com

Microfluidic Tools for Probing Fungal-Microbial Interactions at the Cellular Level

Owing to the opacity of soil, interactions between its constituent microbes cannot easily be visualised with cellular resolution. Here, two microfluidic tools are presented, which offer new opportunities for investigating fungal-microbial interactions. The devices are versatile and simple to use, enabling high spatiotemporal control and high-resolution imaging at the cellular level.

Filamentous fungi are successful inhabitants of soil and play a major role in soil ecosystems, such as in the decomposition of organic and inorganic ...

Using the presented microfluidic devices, we can examine dynamic interactions between fungi and other microbes with precise spacial and environmental control, as well as high-resolution imaging at the single cell level. Importantly, fungal growth can be confined and directed within the microfluidic channel. Enabling high quality time lapse images to be obtained.Therefore, the complexities of fungal-fungal and fungal-bacterial interactions can be explored. Understanding fungal microbial interactions is an essential step in defining and preserving the soil microbiome. This knowledge can be exploited for the development of novel biocontrol agents with sustainable agriculture.To begin, prepare approximately 40 grams of poly(dimethylsiloxane)or PDMs, by thoroughly mixing the base and the curing agent in a 10 to 1 ratio using a spatula in a clean plastic cup. To remove all air bubbles, place the cup into a vacuum chamber for one hour. Next, using clear tape, secure the master mold into a plastic mount and use compressed filtered air to remove any dust particles, then pour the PDMs onto the center of the master mold and allow it to settle.To prevent the settling of dust particles on the PDMs surface, loosely cover the master mold with a plastic lid, then transfer the master mold to an oven and cure overnight at 70 degrees Celsius. After removing the master mold from the oven and allowing it to cool, peel the cured PDMs away from the master mold and plastic frame without damaging the master mold in the PDMs. Then to maintain a dust-free surface, place clear tape over the microchannels embossed into the PDMs.Next, use a mounted guillotine or a razor blade to cut the PDMs into slabs as designated by the design. When cutting the lateral opening of the PDMs slab used for the bacterial-fungal interaction device, or BFI device, ensure that the microchannels are fully open. However, for PDMs slabs used in the assembly of the fungal-fungal interaction device, or FFI, each corner should be trimmed so that it fits into a glass bottom Petri dish.Next, use a precision cutter to punch inlet or outlet holes according to the device design. Next, submerge the PDMs slabs into a 0.5 molar sodium hydroxide solution. Rinse the slabs in sterile double distilled water before transferring them into a 70%ethanol solution.After removing the ethanol and rinsing the slabs with double distilled sterile water again, immerse the slabs in sterile double distilled water and sonicate for five minutes, then remove the PDMs slab from the water, dry them with compressed filtered air, and place them in a sterile square Petri dish. Next, incubate the Petri dish with PDMs slab in an oven at 70 degree Celsius for one hour. Once the slabs have cooled in a dust-free environment, clear any dust from their surface using tape and compressed filtered air.To activate the surfaces of the PDMs slabs and glass bottom Petri dishes, which will be subsequently bonded together, place them in a plasma cleaner with the surfaces to be activated facing upward. After removing the PDMs slab in the Petri dishes from the plasma cleaner, bond them gently by placing the activated surfaces in conformal contact with one another. Bond BFI and FFI PDMs slab with Petri dishes of 35 millimeter and 55 millimeter diameters, respectively for checking the successful bonding, try to pull the PDMs lab off its Petri dish with tweezers.Visualize the device carefully with the eye or by generic microscopy to ensure no collapse of the inoculation inlets or microchannels. For water saturated or nutrient-rich conditions, pipette 100 microliters of the desired solution to fill BFI devices immediately after bonding. For FFI devices, add 30 microliters of the media into each inlet.Finally, add 100 to 200 microliters of sterile double distilled water to the Petri dish to maintain humidity. However, for water unsaturated conditions, just add 100 to 200 microliters of sterile double distilled water to the Petri dish to maintain humidity. For fungal inoculation, inside a laminar flow hood, using a sterilized cork borer, remove an agar plug from a colony on the periphery of a three day old culture, ensuring to keep the growing hyphal front intact.Then introduce the agar plug into the fungal inlet of the BFI and/or FFI device with the mycelium side down in the hyphal front oriented toward the microchannel openings to encourage hyphal infiltration of the channels. For the FFI device, introduce another agar plug with a second fungal species into the opposite inlet. Next, seal the Petri dish with a transparent film and incubate at 25 to 28 degree Celsius in the dark until imaging.For bacterial inoculation, after removing the BFI device from the incubator, pipette 10 microliters of a bacterial suspension into the bacterial inlet in a sterile environment. Once the Petri dish is sealed with a transparent film, stored the device upright at 25 degree Celsius in the dark until imaging commences. Using this protocol, the interaction between the fungus Coprinopsis cinerea and the bacterium Bacillus subtilis could be successfully visualized.It was observed that in the presence of the bacterium, the growth rate of the fungus started to decline drastically after about five hours of coinoculation. Moreover, the fungal hyphae associated with the bacteria had a thin and transparent appearance. Time lapse fluorescence microscopy also revealed fungal hyphae collapse after five hours of coinoculation with Bacillus subtilis.However, from six hours onwards, the bacterial population also started to decline. Visualization of fungal-fungal interactions showed that Fusarium graminearum strongly inhibited the growth of Trichoderma rossicum, which was evident using fluorescence microscopy. This protocol further revealed significant morphological changes in the fungus Verticillium longisporum in the presence of bacteria Pseudomonas synxantha and Pseudomonas fluorescens.The high resolution dynamic imaging technique used in the study also revealed septa formation in Fusarium graminearum in the presence of the fungus Clonostachys rosea. Fluorescence labeling afforded the dynamic quantification of Clonostachys rosea hyphal proliferation in the FFI device. These devices can be adapted and modified by the user to incorporate different species of interest and address their specific experimental questions concerning fungal microbial interactions.Both the BFI and FFI devices have pushed scientific frontiers, revealing how fungi propagate defense signals and nutrients upon attack by fungi, virus, nematodes and enabling investigations on bacterial dispersal.

microfluidic-tools-for-probing-fungal-microbial-interactions-at

Microfluidic Tools for Probing Fungal-Microbial Interactions at the Cellular Level

In This Article

Abstract

Reprints and Permissions