Long-term monitoring of bacteria undergoing programmed population control in a microchemostat.

Published

Journal Article

Using an active approach to preventing biofilm formation, we implemented a microfluidic bioreactor that enables long-term culture and monitoring of extremely small populations of bacteria with single-cell resolution. We used this device to observe the dynamics of Escherichia coli carrying a synthetic "population control" circuit that regulates cell density through a feedback mechanism based on quorum sensing. The microfluidic bioreactor enabled long-term monitoring of unnatural behavior programmed by the synthetic circuit, which included sustained oscillations in cell density and associated morphological changes, over hundreds of hours.

Full Text

Duke Authors

Cited Authors

  • Balagaddé, FK; You, L; Hansen, CL; Arnold, FH; Quake, SR

Published Date

  • July 2005

Published In

Volume / Issue

  • 309 / 5731

Start / End Page

  • 137 - 140

PubMed ID

  • 15994559

Pubmed Central ID

  • 15994559

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1095-9203

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0036-8075

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1126/science.1109173

Language

  • eng