This EAGER project, funded by the Systems and Synthetic Biology program, will lead to the development of tools that will allow researchers to change the behavior or state of bacteria without the introduction of new genes. Analogous to the development of programming languages for computers, the investigator will develop the rules and theory that will enable the programming (or change of state) of bacteria. This should enable other researchers in the field to more rapidly alter bacteria to perform useful functions such as the manufacture of chemicals, or to prevent harmful functions such as biofouling of surfaces. The investigator will engage in interdisciplinary training at all levels from K-12 to graduate and postdoctoral students, with a focus on enhancing diversity.
The PI will use a systems biology approach to describe different phenotypic states during P. aeroginosa biofilm formation under different nutrient conditions. Her hypothesis is that temporal transcriptomic profiles of bacteria can be described using a state space formalism. The PI will then use this state space systems biology framework to develop a 'soft' programming language, that doesn't require insertion of external DNA circuits, to modulate the phenotypic states of the cells. The development of soft programming for bacteria will have a significant impact on the fields of synthetic biology and metabolic engineering.
