Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 29, 2025
13:11
Super-Resolution Imaging of Bacterial Secreted Proteins Using Genetic Code Expansion
Published on: February 10, 2023
1.8K
Encrypting messages with artificial bacterial receptors.
Pragati Kishore Prasad1, Naama Lahav-Mankovski1, Leila Motiei1
1Department of Organic Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.
Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry
|November 23, 2020
Summary
Engineered bacteria can encrypt messages using synthetic receptors and dynamic fluorescence. This novel approach offers a unique, time-changing encryption key for molecular information protection.
Area of Science:
- Molecular biology
- Biotechnology
- Information security
Background:
- Current encryption methods face evolving security challenges.
- Live-cell systems offer novel platforms for information processing and security.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel encryption method using engineered bacteria.
- To explore the potential of dynamic fluorescence fingerprints for generating time-changing encryption keys.
Main Methods:
- Engineering *E. coli* with His-tagged outer membrane protein C (His-OmpC).
- Utilizing DNA-based artificial receptors that bind to His-OmpC.
- Observing Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between fluorescent dyes upon receptor binding.
- Analyzing the dynamic changes in fluorescence emission patterns due to bacterial division.
Main Results:
- Successful induction of FRET between dyes upon receptor binding to engineered *E. coli*.
- Generation of unique, time-dependent fluorescence fingerprints.
- Demonstration of dynamic encryption key generation through bacterial replication.
Conclusions:
- Engineered bacteria can serve as a platform for live-cell-based encryption.
- The dynamic nature of bacterial division enables time-varying encryption keys.
- This research highlights the potential of molecular-level information protection systems.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Bacterial Signaling
39.0K
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...
39.0K
02:53CRISPR and crRNAs
18.2K
Bacteria and archaea are susceptible to viral infections just like eukaryotes; therefore, they have developed a unique adaptive immune system to protect themselves. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated proteins (CRISPR-Cas) are present in more than 45% of known bacteria and 90% of known archaea.
The CRISPR-Cas system stores a copy of foreign DNA in the host genome and uses it to identify the foreign DNA upon reinfection. CRISPR-Cas has three different...
The CRISPR-Cas system stores a copy of foreign DNA in the host genome and uses it to identify the foreign DNA upon reinfection. CRISPR-Cas has three different...
18.2K
01:26DNA Bacteriophages
483
Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that specifically infect bacteria, utilizing their genetic material to hijack host cellular machinery for replication. DNA bacteriophages employ single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) or double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) genomes. These phages exhibit diverse replication strategies and host interactions, influencing their ecological roles and applications in biotechnology and medicine.ssDNA BacteriophagesssDNA phages, with their small genomes, utilize unique strategies to...
483
01:33Bacterial Transformation
58.8K
In 1928, bacteriologist Frederick Griffith worked on a vaccine for pneumonia, which is caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. Griffith studied two pneumonia strains in mice: one pathogenic and one non-pathogenic. Only the pathogenic strain killed host mice.
Griffith made an unexpected discovery when he killed the pathogenic strain and mixed its remains with the live, non-pathogenic strain. Not only did the mixture kill host mice, but it also contained living pathogenic bacteria that...
Griffith made an unexpected discovery when he killed the pathogenic strain and mixed its remains with the live, non-pathogenic strain. Not only did the mixture kill host mice, but it also contained living pathogenic bacteria that...
58.8K
01:28Prokaryotic Cells
46.8K
Prokaryotes are small unicellular organisms that include the domains — Archaea and Bacteria. Bacteria include many common microorganisms, such as Salmonella and E. coli, while the Archaea include extremophiles that live in harsh environments, such as volcanic springs.
Like eukaryotic cells, all prokaryotic cells are surrounded by a plasma membrane, have genetic material in the form of single, circular DNA, a cytoplasm that fills the interior of the cell, and ribosomes that synthesize...
Like eukaryotic cells, all prokaryotic cells are surrounded by a plasma membrane, have genetic material in the form of single, circular DNA, a cytoplasm that fills the interior of the cell, and ribosomes that synthesize...
46.8K
01:23Types of RNA
71.2K
Overview
Three main types of RNA are involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). These RNAs perform diverse functions and can be broadly classified as protein-coding or non-coding RNA. Non-coding RNAs play important roles in the regulation of gene expression in response to developmental and environmental changes. Non-coding RNAs in prokaryotes can be manipulated to develop more effective antibacterial drugs for human or animal use.
RNA...
Three main types of RNA are involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). These RNAs perform diverse functions and can be broadly classified as protein-coding or non-coding RNA. Non-coding RNAs play important roles in the regulation of gene expression in response to developmental and environmental changes. Non-coding RNAs in prokaryotes can be manipulated to develop more effective antibacterial drugs for human or animal use.
RNA...
71.2K