In situ characterisation and manipulation of biological systems with Chi.Bio

• Published in: PLoS biology Vol. 18; no. 7; p. e3000794
• Main Authors: Steel, Harrison, Habgood, Robert, Kelly, Ciarán L, Papachristodoulou, Antonis
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Francisco Public Library of Science 30-07-2020; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Actuation; Automatic control; Automation; Biofilms; Biological research; Biological systems; Biology and Life Sciences; Biology, Experimental; Cell culture; Computer and Information Sciences; Control; Engineering and Technology; Experimental methods; Fluorescence; Identification and classification; In vivo methods and tests; Light emitting diodes; Methods and Resources; Personal computers; Physical Sciences; Public software; Research and Analysis Methods; Software; Spectrometry; Subsystems; Technology application; United Kingdom; United Kingdom > UK
• ISSN: 1545-7885; 1544-9173; 1545-7885
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000794

The precision and repeatability of in vivo biological studies is predicated upon methods for isolating a targeted subsystem from external sources of noise and variability. However, in many experimental frameworks, this is made challenging by nonstatic environments during host cell growth, as well as variability introduced by manual sampling and measurement protocols. To address these challenges, we developed Chi.Bio, a parallelised open-source platform that represents a new experimental paradigm in which all measurement and control actions can be applied to a bulk culture in situ. In addition to continuous-culturing capabilities, it incorporates tunable light outputs, spectrometry, and advanced automation features. We demonstrate its application to studies of cell growth and biofilm formation, automated in silico control of optogenetic systems, and readout of multiple orthogonal fluorescent proteins in situ. By integrating precise measurement and actuation hardware into a single low-cost platform, Chi.Bio facilitates novel experimental methods for synthetic, systems, and evolutionary biology and broadens access to cutting-edge research capabilities.