NP-TRAP Device: A Conceptual Platform for Integrated Microbial In Situ Cultivation and Metabolite Capture

Environmental microorganisms are a rich yet underused source of bioactive chemistry, but many remain uncultivated and numerous biosynthetic gene clusters fall silent ex situ. NP-TRAP (Natural Product–Targeted Recovery and Adsorption Platform) is introduced here as a modular concept that unites in situ cultivation with adjacent, retrieval-ready metabolite capture. The device architecture couples cell-excluding 0.2-μm microfiltration interfaces with optional, gently duty-cycled vacuum to bias metabolite flow in one direction while preserving near-ambient conditions at the culture layer. A practical specification is outlined: probabilistic single-cell loading to favor clonal growth (including slow growers), low-nutrient gels and matrix-matched osmolarity, inert structural materials and corrosion-aware fasteners, elastomeric duckbill check-valving with redundant non-return protection, two field-friendly filling workflows (fill-then-seal or micro-port injection), and a simplified two-layer variant when affinity or imprinted membranes are used to seal culture wells. Positioned against iChip, Small Molecule In Situ Resin Capture (SMIRC), and the Microbial Containment Device (MCD), NP-TRAP aims to maintain producer–metabolite traceability while remaining simple and stackable for exploratory deployments. A compact bench plan is also suggested—airtightness checks, adsorption/desorption across a polarity range, valve unidirectionality, oxygen stability under cycling, a clip-on prefilter to manage fouling, and monoclonality validation—to guide early pilots. Empirical testing has not yet been performed; the concept and specification are offered to motivate laboratory and environmental trials as resources become available.