Avoiding the All-or-None Response in Gene Expression During E. coli Continuous Cultivation Based on the On-Line Monitoring of Cell Phenotypic Switching Dynamics.

Different expression vectors are available for the effective production of recombinant proteins by bacterial populations. However, the productivity of such systems is limited by the inherent noise of the gene circuits used for the synthesis of recombinant products. An extreme case of cell-to-cell heterogeneity that has been previously reported for the ara- and lac-based expression systems in E.

Exploiting Information and Control Theory for Directing Gene Expression in Cell Populations.

Microbial populations can adapt to adverse environmental conditions either by appropriately sensing and responding to the changes in their surroundings or by stochastically switching to an alternative phenotypic state. Recent data point out that these two strategies can be exhibited by the same cellular system, depending on the amplitude/frequency of the environmental perturbations and on the architecture of the genetic circuits involved in the adaptation process. Accordingly, several mitigation strategies have been designed for the effective control of microbial populations in different contexts, ranging from biomedicine to bioprocess engineering.