High-throughput microfluidics: new methods to advance the study of microbial interactions

Sprecher: Tobias Wenzel (UC Chile)

Titel: High-throughput microfluidics: new methods to advance the study of microbial interactions

Datum & Uhrzeit: 13.04.2023, 12:30 – 14:00 Uhr

Ort: Hörsaal 3M07, Geo- und Umweltforschungszentrum (GUZ)
Schnarrenbergstr. 94–96
72076 Tübingen

Gastgeber: Andreas Peschel (CMFI)

Abstract:

Microbial communities have a distinctive composition and phenotypical functionality, such as resistance as part of our immunity or microbiome destabilisation followed by infections. These phenotypes emerge from complex microbial interactions, but the underlying networks and mechanisms of these interactions remain mostly elusive. To enable the characterisation of sub-communities in the laboratory, hundreds of thousands combinatorial sub-communities have to be analysed in-vitro, which is beyond the capabilities of any currently available microbiological method. The Wenzel Lab develops new ultra high-throughput methods that uses microfluidics for phenotyping and genomics to decode the interactome of the complex microbial ecosystem of microbiomes. Tobias Wenzel will give an introduction to interaction assays in microfluidic droplets, and explain why droplets are particularly suited for this application. We will also hear about his ongoing research projects to test microbiomes for their resistance to pathogen invasion and instrumentation development efforts aimed a democratizing the necessary tools for this kind of research and diagnostics.