Programming microbes using pulse width modulation of optical signals

Area of Science:

• Synthetic biology
• Systems biology
• Bacterial genetics

Background:

• Cellular signaling pathways encode information in temporal dynamics.
• Pathway architecture influences signal propagation in time and space.
• Synthetic biologists can leverage pathway properties for precise control of cellular functions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the response of a bacterial light-responsive system to oscillating signals.
• To demonstrate the utility of pulse width modulation (PWM) for controlling gene expression in bacteria.
• To extend the application of bacterial optogenetic control.

Main Methods:

• Characterization of a bacterial light-responsive two-component system's response to varying frequencies of oscillating signals.
• Application of pulse width modulation (PWM) strategy for gene expression control.
• Manipulation of a metabolic enzyme to control microbial physiology.

Main Results:

• The bacterial system functions as a low-pass filter, responding to low-frequency but not high-frequency oscillations.
• Pulse width modulation (PWM) effectively controls gene expression levels and temporal dynamics.
• PWM strategy allows fine-tuning of expression and control of microbial physiology.

Conclusions:

• Bacterial light-responsive systems exhibit low-pass filtering properties.
• Pulse width modulation (PWM) is a viable strategy for precise optogenetic control in bacteria.
• This approach enhances the utility of synthetic biology for programming cellular behavior and physiology.