The bacterial nanorecorder: engineering E. coli to function as a chemical recording device

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DOI

Resolve DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0027559

Author

Search for: Bhomkar, Prasanna¹; Search for: Materi, Wayne¹; Search for: Wishart, David S.¹

Affiliation

National Research Council of Canada. Security and Disruptive Technologies

Format

Text, Article

Subject

nanoengineering; cytology; genetic engineering; nanorecorder; reporter gene; synthetic biology; chemical recording devices; Escherichia coli

Abstract

Synthetic biology is an emerging branch of molecular biology that uses synthetic genetic constructs to create man-made cells or organisms that are capable of performing novel and/or useful applications. Using a synthetic chemically sensitive genetic toggle switch to activate appropriate fluorescent protein indicators (GFP, RFP) and a cell division inhibitor (minC), we have created a novel E. coli strain that can be used as a highly specific, yet simple and inexpensive chemical recording device. This biological "nanorecorder" can be used to determine both the type and the time at which a brief chemical exposure event has occurred. In particular, we show that the short-term exposure (15-30 min) of cells harboring this synthetic genetic circuit to small molecule signals (anhydrotetracycline or IPTG) triggered long-term and uniform cell elongation, with cell length being directly proportional to the time elapsed following a brief chemical exposure. This work demonstrates that facile modification of an existing genetic toggle switch can be exploited to generate a robust, biologically-based "nanorecorder" that could potentially be adapted to detect, respond and record a wide range of chemical stimuli that may vary over time and space. © 2011 Bhomkar et al.

Publication date

2011-11-23

Publisher

PLoS

Supplemented by

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Language

English

Peer reviewed

Yes

NPARC number

21272043

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Record identifier

57c3872d-b178-4d6e-bfb5-9b3c5e4513bb

Record created

2014-05-23

Record modified

2023-07-04

Date modified:: 2024-10-21