Use of a microgravity analog to explore the effects of simulated microgravity on the development of Escherichia coli K12 biofilms

Janelle Hicks; Collin Topolski; Alba A Chavez; Hugo A Castillo

doi:10.1128/jmbe.00062-23

Use of a microgravity analog to explore the effects of simulated microgravity on the development of Escherichia coli K12 biofilms

J Microbiol Biol Educ. 2023 Oct 27;24(3):e00062-23. doi: 10.1128/jmbe.00062-23. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Authors

Janelle Hicks¹, Collin Topolski², Alba A Chavez¹, Hugo A Castillo¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Florida, USA.
² Department of Mechanical Engineering, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Florida, USA.

Abstract

The rapid development of space technologies and the increase of human presence in space has brought the discussion of the effects of microgravity on cells into the undergraduate classroom. This paper proposes an idea to simulate microgravity on a bacterial culture, suitable for an introductory microbiology laboratory. For this purpose, we show the use of a 2D clinostat designed for microbial studies, along with traditional microbiology techniques such as optical density, plate counts, and biofilm biomass measurement to test the effect of simulated microgravity on the growth of Escherichia coli K12. This exercise aims to facilitate further discussions on the effects of microgravity on bacteria growth and communication, as well as the use of technology to simulate space and predict physiological changes in cells.

Keywords: EagleStat; biofilm; clinostat; gravity; microgravity.