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Microbial models of development: Inspiration for engineering self-assembled synthetic multicellularity
Chiara Ricci-Tam1, Sophia Kuipa1, Maya Peters Kostman2
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology
|May 10, 2022
Summary
Microbial development models like Dictyostelium discoideum and Bacillus subtilis offer novel strategies for synthetic biology. Studying their solutions to multicellular challenges inspires new designs for emergent biological systems.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Synthetic Biology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Synthetic developmental biology traditionally studies metazoan systems.
- Microbial development presents unique challenges and solutions for multicellularity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review microbial strategies for emergent multicellular development.
- To inspire synthetic biology designs using microbial models.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of developmental strategies in Dictyostelium discoideum.
- Analysis of developmental strategies in Bacillus subtilis.
Main Results:
- Dictyostelium discoideum and Bacillus subtilis employ distinct solutions to common multicellular challenges.
- Key challenges include critical mass, developmental entry regulation, and cell fate assignment.
Conclusions:
- Microbial developmental mechanisms provide a toolbox for synthetic biology.
- Synthetic recreation of these phenomena enhances understanding of natural coordination principles.
