title: A whole more than the sum of its synthetic parts.
abstract: Synthetic biology is the realization of systems with desired behavior using biological materials. A recent addition to the field is a bipartite consortium of the bacterium Escherichia coli in which each species harbors complementary gene circuits that actuate only when both are present above a critical density. This bacterial "consensus" system, functional in liquid, solid, and biofilm niches, represents a novel strategy that raises the bar in terms of the specificity and complexity of tasks performed by engineered organisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Lingchong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: You
mesh_terms: D018441:Biofilms; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005818:Genetic Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D008957:Models, Genetic