Abstract

Our understanding of microbial organisms is still dominated by an average cell approach in which all cells are seen to behave equally. The complex interplay between environmental dynamics and the subsequent cellular response is still a mystery. Therefore, novel analytical methods need to be developed to understand these phenomena in detail [1].

In this presentation I will give an introduction into microfluidic single-cell cultivation (MSCC) and its application in microbiology and biotechnology. MSCC offers precisely controlled external environmental conditions and allows in combination with live-cell imaging single-cell analysis at full spatio-temporal resolution [2,3]. I will demonstrate the versatility of this technology and how it can be used to get a deeper understanding of microbial physiology on the example of Corynebacterium glutamicum [4-6]. Latest developments, results as well as technological challenges will be discussed.

References

1. Dusny C. and Grünberger A. (2020), Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 63:26–33
2. Grünberger et al. (2012), Lab on a Chip, 12(11): 2060-2068
3. Täuber et al. (2020), Lab on a Chip, 20(23):4442-4455
4. Mustafi et al. (2014), PlosOne, 9:e85731
5. Ho et al. (2022), Frontiers in Chemical Engineering, 4:826485
6. Täuber et al., (2022), Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 119:3194–3209

Biosketch

Dr. -Ing. Alexander Grünberger is Professor for Bioprocess Engineering in the Department of Chemical and Process Engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). He received his PhD in Bioprocess Engineering from RWTH Aachen University in 2015, his research field being microfluidics and single-cell analysis. After joining Bielefeld University in 2017 as Assistant Professor, he joined KIT as full Professor in 2022. His present research concentrates on the establishment and application of microfluidic systems for bioprocess development. Alexander Grünberger has authored or co-authored more than 80 peer-reviewed publications in the field of Biotechnology, Bioprocess engineering and Microfluidics. He has received several awards, including the "VAAM-Promotionspreis" and the "DECHEMA-Hochschullehrer-Nachwuchspreis für Biotechnologie".

Contact

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Grünberger
Microsystems in Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering in Life Sciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
Fritz‑Haber‑Weg 2
76131 Karlsruhe
Germany
Email: alexander.gruenberger@kit.edu