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From 2011.igem.org

 

 

Overview

Information processing through living things remains a challenge to science. Logic-gate based genetic circuits to program bacteria have been constructed, allowing the achievement of more complex answers.¹ This represents an incredible advance from previous systems that require one input for every output seeking to control.

The main purpose of our project is to achieve a new way for regulating gene expression through logic gates that globally perform a complex answer. It aims at building a genetic circuit that enables a bacterial community to interpret a simple light-based code. The community will be constituted by different E. coli clones that communicate with each other and overall interpret the code. We consider this an advantageous approach since compartmentalizing the circuit lowers the construction size and metabolic charge per cell. Different genotypes in each clone will give them the capability to take green or red light as gene-expression stimulating input. We pursue to control the independent expression of five different products by using wavelength light patterns.

Although the concept does not depend on the type of input, light will be a plus to our project as it is an elegant non-invasive way to input a genetic circuit. To our knowledge, every logic-gate based genetic circuit constructed so far uses chemical inputs.¹ Nevertheless, light sensing proteins have been successfully characterized in the last few years;^{2, 3} therefore, we think there is a great potential on combining both types of devices into genetic circuits that take light as input.

References

1. Tamsir A, Tabor JJ, Voigt CA. (2010). Robust multicellular computing using genetically encoded NOR gates and chemical ‘wires’. Nature. 469: 212-215.
2. Levskaya A, et al. (2005). Synthetic 674 biology: engineering Escherichia coli to see light. Nature. 438: 441–442.
3. Tabor JJ, Levskaya A, Voigt CA. (2010). Multichromatic Control of Gene Expression in Escherichia coli. J. Mol. Biol. 405: 315-324.