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 (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.
Levskaya
Anselm
A
Biophysics Program, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA.
Chevalier
Aaron A
AA
Tabor
Jeffrey J
JJ
Simpson
Zachary Booth
ZB
Lavery
Laura A
LA
Levy
Matthew
M
Davidson
Eric A
EA
Scouras
Alexander
A
Ellington
Andrew D
AD
Marcotte
Edward M
EM
Voigt
Christopher A
CA
D000362:Agar; D001695:Biology; D003116:Color; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000528:radiation effects; D017930:Genes, Reporter / Q000235:genetics; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D000071677:Histidine Kinase; D007763:Lac Operon / Q000235:genetics; D008027:Light; D010781:Photography / Q000379:methods*; D020283:Photoreceptors, Microbial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D052980:Phycobilins; D010798:Phycocyanin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D010834:Phytochrome / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D045725:Tetrapyrroles / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism
D020283:Photoreceptors, Microbial; D052980:Phycobilins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D045725:Tetrapyrroles; D010798:Phycocyanin; D010834:Phytochrome; C011069:phycocyanobilin; D000362:Agar; D011494:Protein Kinases; D000071677:Histidine Kinase