Abstract
Synthetic biology uses gene circuits to explore and answer fundamental questions in biology. A gene circuit consists of a rationally engineered series of genetic elements all of which interact leading to a novel behavior in a cell. One genetic element that has revolutionized our ability to control cell behavior is quorum sensing, defined as the ability of cells to communicate using small diffusible molecules. Implementation of genetic elements that allow quorum sensing has led to the engineering of gene circuits that have addressed important evolutionary questions in areas such as altruistic cell death, predator-prey growth dynamics, the evolutionary benefits of quorum sensing and the formation of bacterial biofilms. In this book chapter (to be published in in “The Physics of Signaling and Communication in Bacteria”), we review the construction and implementation of various circuits containing quorum sensing elements, discuss how the insight gained from these circuits has significantly advanced our understanding of biology and we hypothesize how such circuits may lead to broad applications in medicine.
Faculty Sponsors
Dr. Robert Smith
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-12-2013 1:00 PM
End Date
4-12-2013 5:30 PM
How Quorum-Sensing Based Synthetic Circuits Have Revolutionized Our Understanding of Evolutionary Dynamics
Alvin Sherman Library
Synthetic biology uses gene circuits to explore and answer fundamental questions in biology. A gene circuit consists of a rationally engineered series of genetic elements all of which interact leading to a novel behavior in a cell. One genetic element that has revolutionized our ability to control cell behavior is quorum sensing, defined as the ability of cells to communicate using small diffusible molecules. Implementation of genetic elements that allow quorum sensing has led to the engineering of gene circuits that have addressed important evolutionary questions in areas such as altruistic cell death, predator-prey growth dynamics, the evolutionary benefits of quorum sensing and the formation of bacterial biofilms. In this book chapter (to be published in in “The Physics of Signaling and Communication in Bacteria”), we review the construction and implementation of various circuits containing quorum sensing elements, discuss how the insight gained from these circuits has significantly advanced our understanding of biology and we hypothesize how such circuits may lead to broad applications in medicine.
