Harnessing Plasmid Crosstalk in Transcription Factor Mediated Cell-Free Biosensors

Plasmid crosstalk--unexpected changes to protein expression levels due to interactions between genetic cassettes in cell-free systems--complicates the creation of multi-plasmid cell-free tools. While the potential underlying mechanisms for crosstalk have been previously investigated, the practical impact of crosstalk on the implementation of cell-free genetic circuits has not been thoroughly examined. Here, we contextualize plasmid crosstalk in genetic circuits by examining its impact on the design and performance of multiple, diverse transcription factor biosensors. Guided by a deeper understanding, we harness crosstalk to enhance cell-free biosensor performance. Together, these findings demonstrate that plasmid crosstalk can serve as a tunable property in the development of cell-free genetic circuits.