{
  "abstract": "Droplet-based microfluidics enable researchers to observe phenotypic heterogeneity within complex biological mixtures through parallel encapsulation of individual samples followed by imaging. Observing or quantifying dynamic heterogeneity remains challenging due to complexities associated with trapping and tracking many individual droplets. Current approaches for time-lapse imaging require specialized devices with droplet traps that limit accessibility and throughput. Here, using readily available materials and software, we demonstrate a simple method for stabilizing and monitoring many, individual droplets for up to 12 hours. We leveraged our method to track bacterial growth within droplets in a high-throughput manner for over 6 hours. Our method allows tracking the changes and variation in growth rate within and across droplets, revealing heterogeneity in growth patterns hidden in batch assays. Improving the affordability and throughput of time-dependent phenotyping assays helps to advance biological discovery and biotechnology innovation.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America",
    "Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America",
    "Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America",
    "Sarafan ChEM-H Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America",
    "Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California, United States of America",
    "Center for International Security and Cooperation, Freeman Spogli Institute, Stanford, California, United States of America",
    "Hoover Institution, Stanford, California, United States of America"
  ],
  "article_type": "Research Article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 4,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Sebastián Somolinos Cedeño",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-4890-1732"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Samuel Thompson"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2,
        3,
        4
      ],
      "name": "Polly Fordyce"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        5,
        6
      ],
      "name": "Drew Endy"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/a17zmqs61dyk9.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1371/journal.pone.0362111",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13734601/",
  "id": "a17zmqs61dyk9",
  "issns": [
    "1932-6203"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0362111",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Animal Studies"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Bacteria"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Bacterial Growth"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Bacterial Pathogens"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Biology and Life Sciences"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Bright Field Imaging"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Bright Field Microscopy"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Computer Software"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Computer and Information Sciences"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Developmental Biology"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Electron Microscopy"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Engineering and Technology"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Enterobacteriaceae"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Escherichia"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Escherichia Coli"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Experimental Organism Systems"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Fluidics"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Fluorescence Imaging"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Gut Bacteria"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Imaging Techniques"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Light Microscopy"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Medical Microbiology"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Medicine and Health Sciences"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Microbial Growth and Development"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Microbial Pathogens"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Microbial Physiology"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Microbiology"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Microfluidics"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Microscopy"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Model Organisms"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Organisms"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Pathogens"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Pathology and Laboratory Medicine"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Prokaryotic Models"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Research Article"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Research and Analysis Methods"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Software Engineering"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Transmission Electron Microscopy"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Developmental biology/Microbial growth and development/Bacterial growth"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Microbiology/Medical microbiology/Microbial pathogens/Bacterial pathogens/Escherichia coli"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Microbiology/Microbial physiology/Microbial growth and development/Bacterial growth"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Bacteria/Enterobacteriaceae/Escherichia/Escherichia coli"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Bacteria/Gut bacteria/Escherichia/Escherichia coli"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Computer and information sciences/Software engineering/Computer software"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Engineering and technology/Fluidics/Microfluidics"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Engineering and technology/Software engineering/Computer software"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Pathology and laboratory medicine/Pathogens/Microbial pathogens/Bacterial pathogens/Escherichia coli"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Animal studies/Experimental organism systems/Model organisms/Escherichia coli"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Animal studies/Experimental organism systems/Prokaryotic models/Escherichia coli"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Imaging techniques"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Imaging techniques/Fluorescence imaging"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Microscopy/Electron microscopy/Transmission electron microscopy/Bright field imaging"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Microscopy/Light microscopy/Bright field microscopy"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Model organisms/Escherichia coli"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": "PMC13734601",
  "pmid": "42981358",
  "published": "2026-11-04",
  "publisher": "Public Library of Science",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/a17zmqs61dyk9.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-05T12:20:11Z",
      "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pone.0362111",
      "source": "plos",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0362111"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-08T12:24:02Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13734601",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0362111"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:developmental biology",
      "subfield": "developmental-biology"
    },
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:microbiology",
      "subfield": "microbiology"
    },
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "heading:Medicine and Health Sciences",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Simple and multiplexed tracking of bacterial growth in double emulsion droplets",
  "title_text": "Simple and multiplexed tracking of bacterial growth in double emulsion droplets",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-08T12:24:02Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/a17zmqs61dyk9",
  "venue": "PLOS One",
  "versions": []
}