Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2026
07:19
Protocol for Biofilm Streamer Formation in a Microfluidic Device with Micro-pillars
Published on: August 20, 2014
Engineered bidirectional communication mediates a consensus in a microbial biofilm consortium.
Katie Brenner1, David K Karig, Ron Weiss
1Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, MC 210-41, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
Summary
Engineered microbial consortia use cell-to-cell communication to achieve a consensus gene expression response, functioning like a biological AND gate. This engineered cooperation demonstrates a novel form of synthetic microbial community behavior.
Area of Science:
- Synthetic Biology
- Microbial Ecology
- Systems Biology
Background:
- Microbial consortia are natural communities of multiple species that perform functions collectively.
- These cooperative metabolic activities impact global ecosystems and human health.
- Understanding and engineering microbial consortia is crucial for various applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer a microbial consortium with inter-species communication.
- To achieve a 'consensus' gene expression response dependent on multiple microbial populations.
- To demonstrate a biological AND gate logic using microbial signaling.
Main Methods:
- Engineered two populations of Escherichia coli to colocalize.
- Utilized bidirectional acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) signaling for inter-population communication.
- Assessed gene expression response based on the presence and density of both populations.
Main Results:
- The engineered consortium exhibited a consensus gene expression response only when both populations were present at sufficient densities.
- The system functioned as a logical AND gate, requiring input from both microbial populations.
- The consortium maintained its consensus response in various growth modes, including biofilms, for extended periods.
Conclusions:
- Engineered microbial consortia can achieve complex, coordinated behaviors through cell-to-cell communication.
- This study demonstrates a novel synthetic biological system exhibiting logical AND gate functionality.
- The findings open possibilities for designing sophisticated microbial communities for specific functions.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Microbial Interactions: Cooperation
Microbial cooperation involves beneficial interactions in which different species work together for individual or mutual advantage. These interactions can profoundly influence ecological dynamics and evolutionary processes, and they are essential to many pathogenic and symbiotic relationships.Nematode–Bacteria CooperationA striking example is the relationship between the Gram-negative bacterium Xenorhabdus nematophila and the parasitic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae. Juvenile nematodes...
01:29Biofilms
Biofilms are complex communities of microorganisms encased in a self-produced extracellular polysaccharide matrix attached to surfaces. These microbial consortia can include single or multiple species, providing enhanced survival benefits by forming organized, multilayered structures.The formation of biofilms occurs through four key stages: attachment, colonization, development, and dispersal.During attachment, free-swimming planktonic cells adhere to a surface, often facilitated by...
01:30Bacterial Signaling
Bacterial signaling can occur within bacteria (intracellular) or between bacteria (intercellular). At times, a group of bacteria behaves like a community. To achieve this, they engage in quorum sensing, the perception of higher cell density that causes changes in gene expression. Quorum sensing involves both extracellular and intracellular signaling. The signaling cascade starts with a molecule called an autoinducer (AI). Individual bacteria produce AIs that move out of the bacterial cell...
01:28Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing
Quorum sensing is a mechanism of bacterial communication that enables coordinated gene expression in response to changes in population density. This facilitates collective behaviors that enhance survival, resource acquisition, and ecological adaptation. This process relies on small signaling molecules called autoinducers that accumulate as bacterial populations grow. When a critical threshold concentration of autoinducers is reached, bacterial cells collectively modify gene expression,...