Fungi-on-a-Chip: microfluidic platforms for single-cell studies on fungi
File(s)fuac039.pdf (10.75 MB)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
This review highlights new advances in the emerging field of ‘Fungi-on-a-Chip’ microfluidics for single-cell studies on fungi and discusses several future frontiers, where we envisage microfluidic technology development to be instrumental in aiding our understanding of fungal biology. Fungi, with their enormous diversity, bear essential roles both in nature and our everyday lives. They inhabit a range of ecosystems, such as soil, where they are involved in organic matter degradation and bioremediation processes. More recently, fungi have been recognized as key components of the microbiome in other eukaryotes, such as humans, where they play a fundamental role not only in human pathogenesis, but also likely as commensals. In the food sector, fungi are used either directly or as fermenting agents and are often key players in the biotechnological industry, where they are responsible for the production of both bulk chemicals and antibiotics. Although the macroscopic fruiting bodies are immediately recognizable by most observers, the structure, function, and interactions of fungi with other microbes at the microscopic scale still remain largely hidden. Herein, we shed light on new advances in the emerging field of Fungi-on-a-Chip microfluidic technologies for single-cell studies on fungi. We discuss the development and application of microfluidic tools in the fields of medicine and biotechnology, as well as in-depth biological studies having significance for ecology and general natural processes. Finally, a future perspective is provided, highlighting new frontiers in which microfluidic technology can benefit this field.
Date Issued
2022-11
Date Acceptance
2022-08-22
Citation
FEMS Microbiology Reviews, 2022, 46 (6)
ISSN
0168-6445
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Journal / Book Title
FEMS Microbiology Reviews
Volume
46
Issue
6
Copyright Statement
The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of FEMS.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
License URL
Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femsre/fuac039
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
fuac039
Date Publish Online
2022-08-24