Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing

The paper identifies orthogonal HSL-synthase-regulator pairs that minimize crosstalk in synthetic gene regulation systems in E. coli.

The paper analyzes the molecular interactions of the autoinducer 3-0-C12-HSL with the LasR protein of Pseudomonas aeruginosa using docking and dynamics simulations, identifying a new interaction site and dimerization form.

The paper uses TraDIS to identify genes involved in twitching motility-mediated biofilm expansion in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, revealing both known and novel components.

This study characterizes ten homoserine lactone synthases in E. coli, showing their compatibility with the Lux pathway and highlighting disposal risks of HSLs.

The paper engineers a synthetic bacterial communication system in the mammalian gut using quorum sensing and bacteriophage genetic switch circuits.

The paper develops a library of AHL-receiver devices and a software tool to identify orthogonal chemical communication channels for synthetic microbial consortia.

When pyoverdine and elastase are both needed, a pvdS mutant outcompetes the lasR cheater in P. aeruginosa and averts population collapse; a cost-ratio model with quorum sensing explains this.

This paper introduces Biofilm Lithography, a method to create high-resolution structured biofilms using optogenetic adhesin expression, achieving spatial resolution down to 25 micrometers.

The paper characterizes three quorum sensing systems in E. coli using cell-free and in vivo methods, finding significant genetic and signal crosstalk.