Bioelectronic control of a microbial community using surface-assembled electrogenetic cells to route signals
Journal
Nature Nanotechnology
Journal Volume
16
Journal Issue
6
Pages
688-697
Date Issued
2021
Author(s)
Terrell J.L
Abstract
We developed a bioelectronic communication system that is enabled by a redox signal transduction modality to exchange information between a living cell-embedded bioelectronics interface and an engineered microbial network. A naturally communicating three-member microbial network is ‘plugged into’ an external electronic system that interrogates and controls biological function in real time. First, electrode-generated redox molecules are programmed to activate gene expression in an engineered population of electrode-attached bacterial cells, effectively creating a living transducer electrode. These cells interpret and translate electronic signals and then transmit this information biologically by producing quorum sensing molecules that are, in turn, interpreted by a planktonic coculture. The propagated molecular communication drives expression and secretion of a therapeutic peptide from one strain and simultaneously enables direct electronic feedback from the second strain, thus enabling real-time electronic verification of biological signal propagation. Overall, we show how this multifunctional bioelectronic platform, termed a BioLAN, reliably facilitates on-demand bioelectronic communication and concurrently performs programmed tasks. ? 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.
Subjects
Gene expression; Molecules; Signal transduction; Biological functions; Biological signals; Electronic feedback; Electronic signals; Microbial communities; Molecular communication; Quorum sensing molecules; Therapeutic peptides; Electrodes; Article; bacterial cell; bacterial strain; coculture; controlled study; electrogenetics; feedback system; gene expression; gene technology; genetic engineering; information processing; microbial community; nonhuman; oxidation reduction reaction; plankton; protein secretion; quorum sensing; signal transduction
Type
journal article