An award is made to Columbia University to develop an electrochemical imager chip (EIC) whose purpose it is to study redox-active molecules in microbial biofilms. The EIC platform will have broad significance in understanding biofilm formation and may be used to interfere with biofilm development. In natural, industrial, and clinical settings, the redox transformations caused by microbes in biofilms often determine the overall functionality of an ecosystem and its environmental impact. Examples include sulfur compound transformations catalyzed by bacteria in salt marshes, microbially induced corrosion of oil pipelines, and the fermentative metabolisms of communities in the digestive tract. Furthermore, biofilm formation is a critical step in the establishment of many different types of infections and one that enhances antibiotic resistance, exacerbating the challenge of treating such infections. This research will also support education and outreach efforts by incorporating this instrument into a new course on bacterial physiology and biofilm formation, sponsorship of summer research by undergraduates, and a K-12 outreach program.
The most complex engineered systems to-date are integrated circuits (IC) exploiting silicon complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology, which has spawned a global technology revolution in computing and communications applications. In this project, we will use CMOS IC technology to create a new type of instrument capable of high spatial- and temporal-resolution electrochemical imaging of planar multicellular structures that are placed in contact with the chip. In particular, we will study (1) phenazines, a class of redox-active antibiotics produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms, which vary in structure and chemical properties and have individualized, drastic effects on community morphogenesis; and (2) nitric oxide (NO), an intermediate in P. aeruginosa denitrification, a metabolic process that also affects colony morphogenesis when nitrate is made available in the environment. NO has been implicated in multicellular behavior and development in diverse organisms.
This award is being made jointly by two Programs- (1) Instrument Development for Biological Research, in the Division of Biological Infrastructure (Biological Sciences Directorate), and (2) the Biotechnology, Biochemical, and Biomass Engineering Program, Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems (Engineeing Directorate).
