Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Engineering Adherent Bacteria by Creating a Single Synthetic Curli Operon
Published on: November 16, 2012
Engineering bacteria to recognize and follow small molecules
Dennis M Mishler1, Shana Topp, Colleen M K Reynoso
1Department of Chemistry and Center for Fundamental and Applied Molecular Evolution, Emory University, 1515 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
Abstract:
The ability to recognize and react to specific environmental cues allows bacteria to localize to environments favorable to their survival and growth. Synthetic biologists have begun to exploit the chemosensory pathways that control cell motility to reprogram how bacteria move in response to novel signals. Reprograming is often accomplished by designing novel protein or RNA parts that respond to specific small molecules not normally recognized by the natural chemosensory pathways. Additionally, cell motility and localization can be coupled to bacterial quorum sensing, potentially allowing consortia of cells to perform complex tasks.
Related Concept Videos
Chemotaxis in E. coli
Bacterial Signaling
Microbial Biosensors
Other Unique Bacteria
Deep Sea Microbial Ecology
Methods of Classification and Identification
