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Open AccessArticle
Design and Validation of a PLC-Controlled Morbidostat for Investigating Bacterial Drug Resistance
1
Biosystems and Bioprocess Engineering Group (Bio2Eng), Spanish National Research Council (IIM-CSIC), Rúa Eduardo Cabello 6, 36208 Vigo, Spain
2
Group of Recycling and Valorization of Waste Materials (REVAL), Spanish National Research Council (IIM-CSIC), Rúa Eduardo Cabello 6, 36208 Vigo, Spain
3
CIENGIS Lda, Rua Pedro Nunes, 3030-199 Coimbra, Portugal
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Bioengineering 2024, 11(8), 815; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering11080815 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 1 July 2024
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Revised: 2 August 2024
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Accepted: 5 August 2024
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Published: 10 August 2024
Abstract
During adaptive laboratory evolution experiments, any unexpected interruption in data monitoring or control could lead to the loss of valuable experimental data and compromise the integrity of the entire experiment. Most homemade mini-bioreactors are built employing microcontrollers such as Arduino. Although affordable, these platforms lack the robustness of the programmable logic controller (PLC), which enhances the safety and robustness of the control process. Here, we describe the design and validation of a PLC-controlled morbidostat, an innovative automated continuous-culture mini-bioreactor specifically created to study the evolutionary pathways to drug resistance in microorganisms. This morbidostat includes several improvements, both at the hardware and software level, for better online monitoring and a more robust operation. The device was validated employing Escherichia coli, exploring its adaptive evolution in the presence of didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC), a quaternary ammonium compound widely used for its antimicrobial properties. E. coli was subjected to increasing concentrations of DDAC over 3 days. Our results demonstrated a significant increase in DDAC susceptibility, with evolved populations exhibiting substantial changes in their growth after exposure.
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MDPI and ACS Style
Pedreira, A.; Vázquez, J.A.; Romanenko, A.; García, M.R.
Design and Validation of a PLC-Controlled Morbidostat for Investigating Bacterial Drug Resistance. Bioengineering 2024, 11, 815.
https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering11080815
AMA Style
Pedreira A, Vázquez JA, Romanenko A, García MR.
Design and Validation of a PLC-Controlled Morbidostat for Investigating Bacterial Drug Resistance. Bioengineering. 2024; 11(8):815.
https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering11080815
Chicago/Turabian Style
Pedreira, Adrián, José A. Vázquez, Andrey Romanenko, and Míriam R. García.
2024. "Design and Validation of a PLC-Controlled Morbidostat for Investigating Bacterial Drug Resistance" Bioengineering 11, no. 8: 815.
https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering11080815
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