Synthetic biology Engineering Escherichia coli to see light

We have designed a bacterial system that is switched between different states by red light. The system consists of a synthetic sensor kinase that allows a lawn of bacteria to function as a biological film, such that the projection of a pattern of light on to the bacteria produces a high-definition (...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature 2005-11, Vol.438 (7067), p.441-442
Main Authors: Voigt, Christopher A, Levskaya, Anselm, Chevalier, Aaron A, Tabor, Jeffrey J, Simpson, Zachary Booth, Lavery, Laura A, Levy, Matthew, Davidson, Eric A, Scouras, Alexander, Ellington, Andrew D, Marcotte, Edward M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agar
Biology
Color
Escherichia coli - growth & development
Escherichia coli - physiology
Escherichia coli - radiation effects
Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial - radiation effects
Genes, Reporter - genetics
Genetic Engineering
Histidine Kinase
Lac Operon - genetics
Light
Photography - methods
Photoreceptors, Microbial - chemistry
Photoreceptors, Microbial - genetics
Photoreceptors, Microbial - metabolism
Phycobilins
Phycocyanin - biosynthesis
Phycocyanin - metabolism
Phytochrome - chemistry
Phytochrome - genetics
Phytochrome - metabolism
Protein Kinases - chemistry
Protein Kinases - genetics
Protein Kinases - metabolism
Recombinant Fusion Proteins - chemistry
Recombinant Fusion Proteins - genetics
Recombinant Fusion Proteins - metabolism
Tetrapyrroles - biosynthesis
Tetrapyrroles - metabolism
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Summary:We have designed a bacterial system that is switched between different states by red light. The system consists of a synthetic sensor kinase that allows a lawn of bacteria to function as a biological film, such that the projection of a pattern of light on to the bacteria produces a high-definition (about 100 megapixels per square inch), two-dimensional chemical image. This spatial control of bacterial gene expression could be used to 'print' complex biological materials, for example, and to investigate signalling pathways through precise spatial and temporal control of their phosphorylation steps.
ISSN:0028-0836
1476-4687
DOI:10.1038/nature04405