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A sensing array of radically coupled genetic ‘biopixels’

Author

Listed:
  • Arthur Prindle

    (University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA)

  • Phillip Samayoa

    (Bioinformatics Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA)

  • Ivan Razinkov

    (University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA)

  • Tal Danino

    (University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA)

  • Lev S. Tsimring

    (BioCircuits Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA)

  • Jeff Hasty

    (University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
    Bioinformatics Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
    BioCircuits Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
    Molecular Biology Section, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA)

Abstract

Although there has been considerable progress in the development of engineering principles for synthetic biology, a substantial challenge is the construction of robust circuits in a noisy cellular environment. Such an environment leads to considerable intercellular variability in circuit behaviour, which can hinder functionality at the colony level. Here we engineer the synchronization of thousands of oscillating colony ‘biopixels’ over centimetre-length scales through the use of synergistic intercellular coupling involving quorum sensing within a colony and gas-phase redox signalling between colonies. We use this platform to construct a liquid crystal display (LCD)-like macroscopic clock that can be used to sense arsenic via modulation of the oscillatory period. Given the repertoire of sensing capabilities of bacteria such as Escherichia coli, the ability to coordinate their behaviour over large length scales sets the stage for the construction of low cost genetic biosensors that are capable of detecting heavy metals and pathogens in the field.

Suggested Citation

  • Arthur Prindle & Phillip Samayoa & Ivan Razinkov & Tal Danino & Lev S. Tsimring & Jeff Hasty, 2012. "A sensing array of radically coupled genetic ‘biopixels’," Nature, Nature, vol. 481(7379), pages 39-44, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:481:y:2012:i:7379:d:10.1038_nature10722
    DOI: 10.1038/nature10722
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    Cited by:

    1. Andras Gyorgy, 2023. "Competition and evolutionary selection among core regulatory motifs in gene expression control," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.

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