A Recombinase-Based Genetic Circuit for Heavy Metal Monitoring.

Rapid progress in the genetic circuit design enabled whole-cell biosensors (WCBs) to become prominent in detecting an extensive range of analytes with promise in many fields, from medical diagnostics to environmental toxicity assessment. However, several drawbacks, such as high background signal or low precision, limit WCBs to transfer from proof-of-concept studies to real-world applications, particularly for heavy metal toxicity monitoring. For an alternative WCB module design, we utilized Bxb1 recombinase that provides tight control as a switch to increase dose-response behavior concerning leakiness.

Programming living sensors for environment, health and biomanufacturing.

Synthetic biology offers new tools and capabilities of engineering cells with desired functions for example as new biosensing platforms leveraging engineered microbes. In the last two decades, bacterial cells have been programmed to sense and respond to various input cues for versatile purposes including environmental monitoring, disease diagnosis and adaptive biomanufacturing. Despite demonstrated proof-of-concept success in the laboratory, the real-world applications of microbial sensors have been restricted due to certain technical and societal limitations.

Genetic circuits combined with machine learning provides fast responding living sensors.

Whole cell biosensors (WCBs) have become prominent in many fields from environmental analysis to biomedical diagnostics thanks to advanced genetic circuit design principles. Despite increasing demand on cost effective and easy-to-use assessment methods, a considerable amount of WCBs retains certain drawbacks such as long response time, low precision and accuracy. Here, we utilized a neural network-based architecture to improve the features of WCBs and engineered a gold sensing WCB which has a long response time (18 h).

Genetic Circuits To Detect Nanomaterial Triggered Toxicity through Engineered Heat Shock Response Mechanism.

Biocompatibility assessment of nanomaterials has been of great interest due to their potential toxicity. However, conventional biocompatibility tests fall short of providing a fast toxicity report. We developed a whole cell based biosensor to track biocompatibility of nanomaterials with the aim of providing fast feedback to engineer them with lower toxicity levels.

Cellular Biocatalysts Using Synthetic Genetic Circuits for Prolonged and Durable Enzymatic Activity.

Cellular biocatalysts hold great promise for the synthesis of difficult to achieve compounds, such as complex active molecules. Whole-cell biocatalysts can be programmed through genetic circuits to be more efficient, but they suffer from low stability. The catalytic activity of whole cells decays under stressful conditions, such as prolonged incubation times or high temperatures.

A Self-Actuated Cellular Protein Delivery Machine.

Engineered bacterial cells have great promise to solve global problems, yet they are hampered by a lack of convenient strategy for controlled protein release. A well-controlled protein translocation through cellular membranes is essential for cell-based protein delivery. Here we have developed a controlled protein release system by programming a bacterial autotransporter system named Ag43.

Cellular Biosensors with Engineered Genetic Circuits.

An increasing interest in building novel biological devices with designed cellular functionalities has triggered the search of innovative tools for biocomputation. Utilizing the tools of synthetic biology, numerous genetic circuits have been implemented such as engineered logic operation in analog and digital circuits. Whole cell biosensors are widely used biological devices that employ several biocomputation tools to program cells for desired functions.