Authors:

Mallory A Luse

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About Paper:

High-throughput experimental platforms, introduced by liquid handling robots, enable efficient analysis of microbial function, assembly, and interactions. With the use of magnets, generalizable methods have been developed to enable these robots to handle solid materials, where many microbes thrive. To replicate the surface properties prevalent in water systems, stainless steel beads have been coated with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) allowing them to be compatible with robotic handling. Small-scale environments were recreated in glass jars to model both drinking water and hydroponic systems. Fabricated PVC beads and PVC pipe coupons were incorporated to standardize the beads, ensuring they are representative of broader PVC-based systems and suitable for replicable microbiome analysis. Flow cytometry and DNA extraction methods were used to assess biomass growth in the bulk water and the biofilm. These results were analyzed to optimize raw DNA yield, which was used in downstream DNA sequencing and has the potential to be utilized in qPCR analysis. Experimental data has shown that the beads and coupons obtain similar DNA yields per surface area, highlighting the viability of this method as a low-cost alternative to PVC pipe coupons. The results from downstream sequencing will allow for more in-depth analysis of the similarities of microbiomes on the two surfaces, further standardizing the method of PVC beads to PVC coupons. Overall, this research aims to develop optimized methods that allow liquid-handling robots to study the microbiome on diverse solid materials, improving the safety of water systems. Keywords: Microbiome; Liquid-Handling Robot; Flow Cytometry; DNA Extraction; Water System Safety

Source:

Purdue University / 2025

Topics:

No topics listed

Co-authors:

Mallory A Luse