Visualizing Bacterial Colony Morphologies Using Time-Lapse Imaging Chamber MOCHA

• DOI: 10.1128/jb.00413-17
• Publication Date: 2017-10-30T15:55:23Z
• Authors: Maria Peñil Cobo; Silvia Libro; Nils Marechal; David D'Entremont; David Peñil Cobo; Mehmet Berkmen
• Keywords: Petri dish; Bacterial growth

Capturing microbial growth on a macroscopic scale is of great importance to further our understanding life. However, methods for imaging life millimeters centimeters are often limited by designs that have poor environmental control, resulting in dehydration the agar plate within just few days. Here, we created MOCHA (microbial chamber), simple but effective chamber allows users study extended periods (weeks) stable environment. Agar hydration maintained with double-decker design, which two glass petri dishes connected wick, allowing lower keep upper hydrated. This flexible observation variety microbiological phenomena, such as and development single bacterial fungal colonies, interspecies interactions, swarming motility, pellicle formation.IMPORTANCE Detailed colony has been lagging considerably behind microscopic inspection microbes. One major reason this lack inexpensive instrumentation can reproducibly capture images controlled In study, present design use unique was used produce several time-lapse movies aimed diversity phenotypes over long periods.