High-throughput environmental sequencing has revealed a microbial diversity much greater than that which we have brought into culture; it is estimated that the vast majority of microorganisms have yet to be succesfully cultured. A common explanation is that we often fail to mimic the environmental conditions that are needed by most microbial cells for growth. Even so, the microorganisms that have been successfully cultured so far has yielded humanity with a wealth of antibiotics, anti-cancer drugs, industrial enzymes and cultures, plant growth promoting bacteria and many other valuables. Bringing new microorganisms into culture may thus provide us with an even greater boon.
We have developed a range of new 3D printable lipid-based biomaterials for medical applications such as personalized implants and controlled drug release. While doing so, we found that the material could support the growth of a wide variety of cells, including human cells, pathogenic bacteria and soil microorganisms. It could also release nutrients that stimulated the growth of a soil inoculum. While continuing to pursue medical applications we are now also repurposing the biomaterial for environmental applications.
We are using 3D printing to manufacture a high-throughput system for capturing and culturing novel microorganisms from the environment. The goal is to encapsulate and release different nutrients from 3D printed microhabitats made from the new lipid-based biomaterials. These are then placed inside a 3D printed environmental array that then becomes capable of stimulating the growth of specific microorganisms from the environment based on their metabolism and nutrient needs. With this tool we hope to bring more microorganisms into culture, to discover new beneficial biomolecules and to shed light on the microbial diversity in nature.