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Engineering consortia by polymeric microbial swarmbots

Author

Listed:
  • Lin Wang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Xi Zhang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Chenwang Tang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Pengcheng Li

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Runtao Zhu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Jing Sun

    (Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Yunfeng Zhang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Hua Cui

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Jiajia Ma

    (Tianjin University)

  • Xinyu Song

    (Tianjin University)

  • Weiwen Zhang

    (Tianjin University)

  • Xiang Gao

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Xiaozhou Luo

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Lingchong You

    (Duke University)

  • Ye Chen

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Zhuojun Dai

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Abstract

Synthetic microbial consortia represent a new frontier for synthetic biology given that they can solve more complex problems than monocultures. However, most attempts to co-cultivate these artificial communities fail because of the winner-takes-all in nutrients competition. In soil, multiple species can coexist with a spatial organization. Inspired by nature, here we show that an engineered spatial segregation method can assemble stable consortia with both flexibility and precision. We create microbial swarmbot consortia (MSBC) by encapsulating subpopulations with polymeric microcapsules. The crosslinked structure of microcapsules fences microbes, but allows the transport of small molecules and proteins. MSBC method enables the assembly of various synthetic communities and the precise control over the subpopulations. These capabilities can readily modulate the division of labor and communication. Our work integrates the synthetic biology and material science to offer insights into consortia assembly and serve as foundation to diverse applications from biomanufacturing to engineered photosynthesis.

Suggested Citation

  • Lin Wang & Xi Zhang & Chenwang Tang & Pengcheng Li & Runtao Zhu & Jing Sun & Yunfeng Zhang & Hua Cui & Jiajia Ma & Xinyu Song & Weiwen Zhang & Xiang Gao & Xiaozhou Luo & Lingchong You & Ye Chen & Zhuo, 2022. "Engineering consortia by polymeric microbial swarmbots," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-31467-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31467-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Gita Naseri, 2023. "A roadmap to establish a comprehensive platform for sustainable manufacturing of natural products in yeast," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.

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