1
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Lugagne JB, Blassick CM, Dunlop MJ. Deep model predictive control of gene expression in thousands of single cells. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2148. [PMID: 38459057 PMCID: PMC10923782 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46361-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Gene expression is inherently dynamic, due to complex regulation and stochastic biochemical events. However, the effects of these dynamics on cell phenotypes can be difficult to determine. Researchers have historically been limited to passive observations of natural dynamics, which can preclude studies of elusive and noisy cellular events where large amounts of data are required to reveal statistically significant effects. Here, using recent advances in the fields of machine learning and control theory, we train a deep neural network to accurately predict the response of an optogenetic system in Escherichia coli cells. We then use the network in a deep model predictive control framework to impose arbitrary and cell-specific gene expression dynamics on thousands of single cells in real time, applying the framework to generate complex time-varying patterns. We also showcase the framework's ability to link expression patterns to dynamic functional outcomes by controlling expression of the tetA antibiotic resistance gene. This study highlights how deep learning-enabled feedback control can be used to tailor distributions of gene expression dynamics with high accuracy and throughput without expert knowledge of the biological system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Baptiste Lugagne
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA.
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA.
| | - Caroline M Blassick
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA
| | - Mary J Dunlop
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA.
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA.
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2
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Benisch M, Aoki SK, Khammash M. Unlocking the potential of optogenetics in microbial applications. Curr Opin Microbiol 2024; 77:102404. [PMID: 38039932 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
Optogenetics is a powerful approach that enables researchers to use light to dynamically manipulate cellular behavior. Since the first published use of optogenetics in synthetic biology, the field has expanded rapidly, yielding a vast array of tools and applications. Despite its immense potential for achieving high spatiotemporal precision, optogenetics has predominantly been employed as a substitute for conventional chemical inducers. In this short review, we discuss key features of microbial optogenetics and highlight applications for understanding biology, cocultures, bioproduction, biomaterials, and therapeutics, in which optogenetics is more fully utilized to realize goals not previously possible by other methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moritz Benisch
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zürich, Schanzenstrasse 44, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Stephanie K Aoki
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zürich, Schanzenstrasse 44, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Mustafa Khammash
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zürich, Schanzenstrasse 44, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
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3
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Mim MS, Knight C, Zartman JJ. Quantitative insights in tissue growth and morphogenesis with optogenetics. Phys Biol 2023; 20:061001. [PMID: 37678266 PMCID: PMC10594237 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/acf7a1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Cells communicate with each other to jointly regulate cellular processes during cellular differentiation and tissue morphogenesis. This multiscale coordination arises through the spatiotemporal activity of morphogens to pattern cell signaling and transcriptional factor activity. This coded information controls cell mechanics, proliferation, and differentiation to shape the growth and morphogenesis of organs. While many of the molecular components and physical interactions have been identified in key model developmental systems, there are still many unresolved questions related to the dynamics involved due to challenges in precisely perturbing and quantitatively measuring signaling dynamics. Recently, a broad range of synthetic optogenetic tools have been developed and employed to quantitatively define relationships between signal transduction and downstream cellular responses. These optogenetic tools can control intracellular activities at the single cell or whole tissue scale to direct subsequent biological processes. In this brief review, we highlight a selected set of studies that develop and implement optogenetic tools to unravel quantitative biophysical mechanisms for tissue growth and morphogenesis across a broad range of biological systems through the manipulation of morphogens, signal transduction cascades, and cell mechanics. More generally, we discuss how optogenetic tools have emerged as a powerful platform for probing and controlling multicellular development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayesha Sahir Mim
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States of America
| | - Caroline Knight
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States of America
| | - Jeremiah J Zartman
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States of America
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4
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Dullweber T, Erzberger A. Mechanochemical feedback loops in contact-dependent fate patterning. CURRENT OPINION IN SYSTEMS BIOLOGY 2023; 32-33:None. [PMID: 37090955 PMCID: PMC10112234 DOI: 10.1016/j.coisb.2023.100445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
To reliably form and maintain structures with specific functions, many multicellular systems evolved to leverage the interplay between biochemical signaling, mechanics, and morphology. We review mechanochemical feedback loops in cases where cell-cell contact-based Notch signaling drives fate decisions, and the corresponding differentiation process leads to contact remodeling. We compare different mechanisms for initial symmetry breaking and subsequent pattern refinement, as well as discuss how patterning outcomes depend on the relationship between biochemical and mechanical timescales. We conclude with an overview of new approaches, including the study of synthetic circuits, and give an outlook on future experimental and theoretical developments toward dissecting and harnessing mechanochemical feedback.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. Dullweber
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstraße 1, Heidelberg, 69117, Germany
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - A. Erzberger
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstraße 1, Heidelberg, 69117, Germany
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
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5
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Sheets MB, Tague N, Dunlop MJ. An optogenetic toolkit for light-inducible antibiotic resistance. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1034. [PMID: 36823420 PMCID: PMC9950086 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36670-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibiotics are a key control mechanism for synthetic biology and microbiology. Resistance genes are used to select desired cells and regulate bacterial populations, however their use to-date has been largely static. Precise spatiotemporal control of antibiotic resistance could enable a wide variety of applications that require dynamic control of susceptibility and survival. Here, we use light-inducible Cre recombinase to activate expression of drug resistance genes in Escherichia coli. We demonstrate light-activated resistance to four antibiotics: carbenicillin, kanamycin, chloramphenicol, and tetracycline. Cells exposed to blue light survive in the presence of lethal antibiotic concentrations, while those kept in the dark do not. To optimize resistance induction, we vary promoter, ribosome binding site, and enzyme variant strength using chromosome and plasmid-based constructs. We then link inducible resistance to expression of a heterologous fatty acid enzyme to increase production of octanoic acid. These optogenetic resistance tools pave the way for spatiotemporal control of cell survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael B Sheets
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Nathan Tague
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Mary J Dunlop
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
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6
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Godin R, Karamched BR, Ryan SD. The space between us: Modeling spatial heterogeneity in synthetic microbial consortia dynamics. BIOPHYSICAL REPORTS 2022; 2:100085. [PMID: 36479317 PMCID: PMC9720408 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpr.2022.100085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
A central endeavor in bioengineering concerns the construction of multistrain microbial consortia with desired properties. Typically, a gene network is partitioned between strains, and strains communicate via quorum sensing, allowing for complex behaviors. Yet a fundamental question of how emergent spatiotemporal patterning in multistrain microbial consortia affects consortial dynamics is not understood well. Here, we propose a computationally tractable and straightforward modeling framework that explicitly allows linking spatiotemporal patterning to consortial dynamics. We validate our model against previously published results and make predictions of how spatial heterogeneity impacts interstrain communication. By enabling the investigation of spatial patterns effects on microbial dynamics, our modeling framework informs experimentalists, helps advance the understanding of complex microbial systems, and supports the development of applications involving them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Godin
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
- Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio
- Center for Applied Data Analysis and Modeling, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Bhargav R. Karamched
- Department of Mathematics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
- Institute of Molecular Biophysics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
| | - Shawn D. Ryan
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio
- Center for Applied Data Analysis and Modeling, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio
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7
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CyberSco.Py an open-source software for event-based, conditional microscopy. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11579. [PMID: 35803978 PMCID: PMC9270370 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15207-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Timelapse fluorescence microscopy imaging is routinely used in quantitative cell biology. However, microscopes could become much more powerful investigation systems if they were endowed with simple unsupervised decision-making algorithms to transform them into fully responsive and automated measurement devices. Here, we report CyberSco.Py, Python software for advanced automated timelapse experiments. We provide proof-of-principle of a user-friendly framework that increases the tunability and flexibility when setting up and running fluorescence timelapse microscopy experiments. Importantly, CyberSco.Py combines real-time image analysis with automation capability, which allows users to create conditional, event-based experiments in which the imaging acquisition parameters and the status of various devices can be changed automatically based on the image analysis. We exemplify the relevance of CyberSco.Py to cell biology using several use case experiments with budding yeast. We anticipate that CyberSco.Py could be used to address the growing need for smart microscopy systems to implement more informative quantitative cell biology experiments.
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8
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Kumar S, Khammash M. Platforms for Optogenetic Stimulation and Feedback Control. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:918917. [PMID: 35757811 PMCID: PMC9213687 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.918917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Harnessing the potential of optogenetics in biology requires methodologies from different disciplines ranging from biology, to mechatronics engineering, to control engineering. Light stimulation of a synthetic optogenetic construct in a given biological species can only be achieved via a suitable light stimulation platform. Emerging optogenetic applications entail a consistent, reproducible, and regulated delivery of light adapted to the application requirement. In this review, we explore the evolution of light-induction hardware-software platforms from simple illumination set-ups to sophisticated microscopy, microtiter plate and bioreactor designs, and discuss their respective advantages and disadvantages. Here, we examine design approaches followed in performing optogenetic experiments spanning different cell types and culture volumes, with induction capabilities ranging from single cell stimulation to entire cell culture illumination. The development of automated measurement and stimulation schemes on these platforms has enabled researchers to implement various in silico feedback control strategies to achieve computer-controlled living systems—a theme we briefly discuss in the last part of this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sant Kumar
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mustafa Khammash
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland
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9
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Lu J, Şimşek E, Silver A, You L. Advances and challenges in programming pattern formation using living cells. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2022; 68:102147. [PMID: 35472832 PMCID: PMC9158282 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2022.102147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Spatial patterning of cell populations is a ubiquitous phenomenon in nature. Patterns occur at various length and time scales and exhibit immense diversity. In addition to offering a deeper understanding of the emergence of patterns in nature, the ability to program synthetic patterns using living cells has the potential for broad applications. To date, however, progress in engineering pattern formation has been hampered by technical challenges. In this Review, we discuss recent advances in programming pattern formation in terms of biological insights, experimental and computational tool development, and potential applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Lu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Emrah Şimşek
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Anita Silver
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Lingchong You
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA; Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
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10
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Barbier I, Kusumawardhani H, Schaerli Y. Engineering synthetic spatial patterns in microbial populations and communities. Curr Opin Microbiol 2022; 67:102149. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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11
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Perkins ML, Gandara L, Crocker J. A synthetic synthesis to explore animal evolution and development. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200517. [PMID: 35634925 PMCID: PMC9149795 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying the general principles by which genotypes are converted into phenotypes remains a challenge in the post-genomic era. We still lack a predictive understanding of how genes shape interactions among cells and tissues in response to signalling and environmental cues, and hence how regulatory networks generate the phenotypic variation required for adaptive evolution. Here, we discuss how techniques borrowed from synthetic biology may facilitate a systematic exploration of evolvability across biological scales. Synthetic approaches permit controlled manipulation of both endogenous and fully engineered systems, providing a flexible platform for investigating causal mechanisms in vivo. Combining synthetic approaches with multi-level phenotyping (phenomics) will supply a detailed, quantitative characterization of how internal and external stimuli shape the morphology and behaviour of living organisms. We advocate integrating high-throughput experimental data with mathematical and computational techniques from a variety of disciplines in order to pursue a comprehensive theory of evolution. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Genetic basis of adaptation and speciation: from loci to causative mutations’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mindy Liu Perkins
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lautaro Gandara
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Justin Crocker
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
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12
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Davies JA. Synthetic Morphogenesis: introducing IEEE journal readers to programming living mammalian cells to make structures. PROCEEDINGS OF THE IEEE. INSTITUTE OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS 2022; 110:688-707. [PMID: 36590991 PMCID: PMC7614003 DOI: 10.1109/jproc.2021.3137077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic morphogenesis is a new engineering discipline, in which cells are genetically engineered to make designed shapes and structures. At least in this early phase of the field, devices tend to make use of natural shape-generating processes that operate in embryonic development, but invoke them artificially at times and in orders of a technologist's choosing. This requires construction of genetic control, sequencing and feedback systems that have close parallels to electronic design, which is one reason the field may be of interest to readers of IEEE journals. The other reason is that synthetic morphogenesis allows the construction of two-way interfaces, especially opto-genetic and opto-electronic, between the living and the electronic, allowing unprecedented information flow and control between the two types of 'machine'. This review introduces synthetic morphogenesis, illustrates what has been achieved, drawing parallels wherever possible between biology and electronics, and looks forward to likely next steps and challenges to be overcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie A Davies
- Professor of Experimental Anatomy at the University of Edinburgh, UK, and a member of the Centre for Mammalian Synthetic Biology at that University
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13
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Abstract
Microscopy image analysis has recently made enormous progress both in terms of accuracy and speed thanks to machine learning methods and improved computational resources. This greatly facilitates the online adaptation of microscopy experimental plans using real-time information of the observed systems and their environments. Applications in which reactiveness is needed are multifarious. Here we report MicroMator, an open and flexible software for defining and driving reactive microscopy experiments. It provides a Python software environment and an extensible set of modules that greatly facilitate the definition of events with triggers and effects interacting with the experiment. We provide a pedagogic example performing dynamic adaptation of fluorescence illumination on bacteria, and demonstrate MicroMator’s potential via two challenging case studies in yeast to single-cell control and single-cell recombination, both requiring real-time tracking and light targeting at the single-cell level. In microscopy, applications in which reactiveness is needed are multifarious. Here the authors report MicroMator, a Python software package for reactive experiments, which they use for applications requiring real-time tracking and light-targeting at the single-cell level.
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14
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Hoffman SM, Tang AY, Avalos JL. Optogenetics Illuminates Applications in Microbial Engineering. Annu Rev Chem Biomol Eng 2022; 13:373-403. [PMID: 35320696 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-092120-092340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Optogenetics has been used in a variety of microbial engineering applications, such as chemical and protein production, studies of cell physiology, and engineered microbe-host interactions. These diverse applications benefit from the precise spatiotemporal control that light affords, as well as its tunability, reversibility, and orthogonality. This combination of unique capabilities has enabled a surge of studies in recent years investigating complex biological systems with completely new approaches. We briefly describe the optogenetic tools that have been developed for microbial engineering, emphasizing the scientific advancements that they have enabled. In particular, we focus on the unique benefits and applications of implementing optogenetic control, from bacterial therapeutics to cybergenetics. Finally, we discuss future research directions, with special attention given to the development of orthogonal multichromatic controls. With an abundance of advantages offered by optogenetics, the future is bright in microbial engineering. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Volume 13 is October 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon M Hoffman
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA; , ,
| | - Allison Y Tang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA; , ,
| | - José L Avalos
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA; , , .,The Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Department of Molecular Biology, and High Meadows Environmental Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
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15
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A light tunable differentiation system for the creation and control of consortia in yeast. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5829. [PMID: 34611168 PMCID: PMC8492667 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26129-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Artificial microbial consortia seek to leverage division-of-labour to optimize function and possess immense potential for bioproduction. Co-culturing approaches, the preferred mode of generating a consortium, remain limited in their ability to give rise to stable consortia having finely tuned compositions. Here, we present an artificial differentiation system in budding yeast capable of generating stable microbial consortia with custom functionalities from a single strain at user-defined composition in space and in time based on optogenetically-driven genetic rewiring. Owing to fast, reproducible, and light-tunable dynamics, our system enables dynamic control of consortia composition in continuous cultures for extended periods. We further demonstrate that our system can be extended in a straightforward manner to give rise to consortia with multiple subpopulations. Our artificial differentiation strategy establishes a novel paradigm for the creation of complex microbial consortia that are simple to implement, precisely controllable, and versatile to use.
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16
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Kumar S, Rullan M, Khammash M. Rapid prototyping and design of cybergenetic single-cell controllers. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5651. [PMID: 34561433 PMCID: PMC8463601 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25754-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The design and implementation of synthetic circuits that operate robustly in the cellular context is fundamental for the advancement of synthetic biology. However, their practical implementation presents challenges due to low predictability of synthetic circuit design and time-intensive troubleshooting. Here, we present the Cyberloop, a testing framework to accelerate the design process and implementation of biomolecular controllers. Cellular fluorescence measurements are sent in real-time to a computer simulating candidate stochastic controllers, which in turn compute the control inputs and feed them back to the controlled cells via light stimulation. Applying this framework to yeast cells engineered with optogenetic tools, we examine and characterize different biomolecular controllers, test the impact of non-ideal circuit behaviors such as dilution on their operation, and qualitatively demonstrate improvements in controller function with certain network modifications. From this analysis, we derive conditions for desirable biomolecular controller performance, thereby avoiding pitfalls during its biological implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sant Kumar
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zürich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marc Rullan
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zürich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mustafa Khammash
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zürich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058, Basel, Switzerland.
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17
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Zillig L, Steel H. Cells and computers, better together. Nat Rev Microbiol 2021; 19:622. [PMID: 34345040 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-021-00616-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Zillig
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Harrison Steel
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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18
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Farahani PE, Reed EH, Underhill EJ, Aoki K, Toettcher JE. Signaling, Deconstructed: Using Optogenetics to Dissect and Direct Information Flow in Biological Systems. Annu Rev Biomed Eng 2021; 23:61-87. [PMID: 33722063 PMCID: PMC10436267 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-bioeng-083120-111648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Cells receive enormous amounts of information from their environment. How they act on this information-by migrating, expressing genes, or relaying signals to other cells-comprises much of the regulatory and self-organizational complexity found across biology. The "parts list" involved in cell signaling is generally well established, but how do these parts work together to decode signals and produce appropriate responses? This fundamental question is increasingly being addressed with optogenetic tools: light-sensitive proteins that enable biologists to manipulate the interaction, localization, and activity state of proteins with high spatial and temporal precision. In this review, we summarize how optogenetics is being used in the pursuit of an answer to this question, outlining the current suite of optogenetic tools available to the researcher and calling attention to studies that increase our understanding of and improve our ability to engineer biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Payam E Farahani
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
| | - Ellen H Reed
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
- International Research Collaboration Center (IRCC), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Tokyo 105-0001, Japan
| | - Evan J Underhill
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
| | - Kazuhiro Aoki
- International Research Collaboration Center (IRCC), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Tokyo 105-0001, Japan
- Quantitative Biology Research Group, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
- Division of Quantitative Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
- Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
| | - Jared E Toettcher
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
- International Research Collaboration Center (IRCC), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Tokyo 105-0001, Japan
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19
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Perrino G, Hadjimitsis A, Ledesma-Amaro R, Stan GB. Control engineering and synthetic biology: working in synergy for the analysis and control of microbial systems. Curr Opin Microbiol 2021; 62:68-75. [PMID: 34062481 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2021.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The implementation of novel functionalities in living cells is a key aspect of synthetic biology. In the last decade, the field of synthetic biology has made progress working in synergy with control engineering, whose solid framework has provided concepts and tools to analyse biological systems and guide their design. In this review, we briefly highlight recent work focused on the application of control theoretical concepts and tools for the analysis and design of synthetic biology systems in microbial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giansimone Perrino
- Department of Bioengineering & Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Andreas Hadjimitsis
- Department of Bioengineering & Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro
- Department of Bioengineering & Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Guy-Bart Stan
- Department of Bioengineering & Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, UK.
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20
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Oh TJ, Fan H, Skeeters SS, Zhang K. Steering Molecular Activity with Optogenetics: Recent Advances and Perspectives. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2021; 5:e2000180. [PMID: 34028216 PMCID: PMC8218620 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202000180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Optogenetics utilizes photosensitive proteins to manipulate the localization and interaction of molecules in living cells. Because light can be rapidly switched and conveniently confined to the sub-micrometer scale, optogenetics allows for controlling cellular events with an unprecedented resolution in time and space. The past decade has witnessed an enormous progress in the field of optogenetics within the biological sciences. The ever-increasing amount of optogenetic tools, however, can overwhelm the selection of appropriate optogenetic strategies. Considering that each optogenetic tool may have a distinct mode of action, a comparative analysis of the current optogenetic toolbox can promote the further use of optogenetics, especially by researchers new to this field. This review provides such a compilation that highlights the spatiotemporal accuracy of current optogenetic systems. Recent advances of optogenetics in live cells and animal models are summarized, the emerging work that interlinks optogenetics with other research fields is presented, and exciting clinical and industrial efforts to employ optogenetic strategy toward disease intervention are reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teak-Jung Oh
- 600 South Mathews Avenue, 314 B Roger Adams Laboratory, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Huaxun Fan
- 600 South Mathews Avenue, 314 B Roger Adams Laboratory, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Savanna S Skeeters
- 600 South Mathews Avenue, 314 B Roger Adams Laboratory, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Kai Zhang
- 600 South Mathews Avenue, 314 B Roger Adams Laboratory, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
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21
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Figueroa D, Rojas V, Romero A, Larrondo LF, Salinas F. The rise and shine of yeast optogenetics. Yeast 2020; 38:131-146. [PMID: 33119964 DOI: 10.1002/yea.3529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Optogenetics refers to the control of biological processes with light. The activation of cellular phenomena by defined wavelengths has several advantages compared with traditional chemically inducible systems, such as spatiotemporal resolution, dose-response regulation, low cost, and moderate toxic effects. Optogenetics has been successfully implemented in yeast, a remarkable biological platform that is not only a model organism for cellular and molecular biology studies, but also a microorganism with diverse biotechnological applications. In this review, we summarize the main optogenetic systems implemented in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which allow orthogonal control (by light) of gene expression, protein subcellular localization, reconstitution of protein activity, and protein sequestration by oligomerization. Furthermore, we review the application of optogenetic systems in the control of metabolic pathways, heterologous protein production and flocculation. We then revise an example of a previously described yeast optogenetic switch, named FUN-LOV, which allows precise and strong activation of the target gene. Finally, we describe optogenetic systems that have not yet been implemented in yeast, which could therefore be used to expand the panel of available tools in this biological chassis. In conclusion, a wide repertoire of optogenetic systems can be used to address fundamental biological questions and broaden the biotechnological toolkit in yeast.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Figueroa
- Instituto de Bioquímica y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.,ANID - Millennium Science Initiative - Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBIO), Santiago, Chile
| | - Vicente Rojas
- ANID - Millennium Science Initiative - Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBIO), Santiago, Chile.,Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Andres Romero
- ANID - Millennium Science Initiative - Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBIO), Santiago, Chile.,Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Luis F Larrondo
- ANID - Millennium Science Initiative - Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBIO), Santiago, Chile.,Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisco Salinas
- Instituto de Bioquímica y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.,ANID - Millennium Science Initiative - Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBIO), Santiago, Chile
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22
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Autonomous and Assisted Control for Synthetic Microbiology. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21239223. [PMID: 33287299 PMCID: PMC7731081 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21239223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The control of microbes and microbial consortia to achieve specific functions requires synthetic circuits that can reliably cope with internal and external perturbations. Circuits that naturally evolved to regulate biological functions are frequently robust to alterations in their parameters. As the complexity of synthetic circuits increases, synthetic biologists need to implement such robust control "by design". This is especially true for intercellular signaling circuits for synthetic consortia, where robustness is highly desirable, but its mechanisms remain unclear. Cybergenetics, the interface between synthetic biology and control theory, offers two approaches to this challenge: external (computer-aided) and internal (autonomous) control. Here, we review natural and synthetic microbial systems with robustness, and outline experimental approaches to implement such robust control in microbial consortia through population-level cybergenetics. We propose that harnessing natural intercellular circuit topologies with robust evolved functions can help to achieve similar robust control in synthetic intercellular circuits. A "hybrid biology" approach, where robust synthetic microbes interact with natural consortia and-additionally-with external computers, could become a useful tool for health and environmental applications.
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23
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Mumford TR, Roth L, Bugaj LJ. Reverse and Forward Engineering Multicellular Structures with Optogenetics. CURRENT OPINION IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2020; 16:61-71. [PMID: 33718689 PMCID: PMC7945718 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobme.2020.100250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how cells self-organize into functional higher-order structures is of great interest, both towards deciphering animal development, as well as for our ability to predictably build custom tissues to meet research and therapeutic needs. The proper organization of cells across length-scales results from interconnected and dynamic networks of molecules and cells. Optogenetic probes provide dynamic and tunable control over molecular events within cells, and thus represent a powerful approach to both dissect and control collective cell behaviors. Here we emphasize the breadth of the optogenetic toolkit and discuss how these methods have already been used to reverse-engineer the design rules of developing organisms. We also offer our perspective on the rich potential for optogenetics to power forward-engineering of tissue assembly towards the generation of bespoke tissues with user-defined properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas R. Mumford
- University of Pennsylvania, Department of Bioengineering, 240 Skirkanich Hall, 210 South 33 Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
| | - Lee Roth
- University of Pennsylvania, Department of Bioengineering, 240 Skirkanich Hall, 210 South 33 Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
| | - Lukasz J. Bugaj
- University of Pennsylvania, Department of Bioengineering, 240 Skirkanich Hall, 210 South 33 Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
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24
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Kim H, Jin X, Glass DS, Riedel-Kruse IH. Engineering and modeling of multicellular morphologies and patterns. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2020; 63:95-102. [PMID: 32629326 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2020.05.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic multicellular (MC) systems have the capacity to increase our understanding of biofilms and higher organisms, and to serve as engineering platforms for developing complex products in the areas of medicine, biosynthesis and smart materials. Here we provide an interdisciplinary perspective and review on emerging approaches to engineer and model MC systems. We lay out definitions for key terms in the field and identify toolboxes of standardized parts which can be combined into various MC algorithms to achieve specific outcomes. Many essential parts and algorithms have been demonstrated in some form. As key next milestones for the field, we foresee the improvement of these parts and their adaptation to more biological systems, the demonstration of more complex algorithms, the advancement of quantitative modeling approaches and compilers to support rational MC engineering, and implementation of MC engineering for practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honesty Kim
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA
| | | | - David S Glass
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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25
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Levin M. The Computational Boundary of a "Self": Developmental Bioelectricity Drives Multicellularity and Scale-Free Cognition. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2688. [PMID: 31920779 PMCID: PMC6923654 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
All epistemic agents physically consist of parts that must somehow comprise an integrated cognitive self. Biological individuals consist of subunits (organs, cells, and molecular networks) that are themselves complex and competent in their own native contexts. How do coherent biological Individuals result from the activity of smaller sub-agents? To understand the evolution and function of metazoan creatures' bodies and minds, it is essential to conceptually explore the origin of multicellularity and the scaling of the basal cognition of individual cells into a coherent larger organism. In this article, I synthesize ideas in cognitive science, evolutionary biology, and developmental physiology toward a hypothesis about the origin of Individuality: "Scale-Free Cognition." I propose a fundamental definition of an Individual based on the ability to pursue goals at an appropriate level of scale and organization and suggest a formalism for defining and comparing the cognitive capacities of highly diverse types of agents. Any Self is demarcated by a computational surface - the spatio-temporal boundary of events that it can measure, model, and try to affect. This surface sets a functional boundary - a cognitive "light cone" which defines the scale and limits of its cognition. I hypothesize that higher level goal-directed activity and agency, resulting in larger cognitive boundaries, evolve from the primal homeostatic drive of living things to reduce stress - the difference between current conditions and life-optimal conditions. The mechanisms of developmental bioelectricity - the ability of all cells to form electrical networks that process information - suggest a plausible set of gradual evolutionary steps that naturally lead from physiological homeostasis in single cells to memory, prediction, and ultimately complex cognitive agents, via scale-up of the basic drive of infotaxis. Recent data on the molecular mechanisms of pre-neural bioelectricity suggest a model of how increasingly sophisticated cognitive functions emerge smoothly from cell-cell communication used to guide embryogenesis and regeneration. This set of hypotheses provides a novel perspective on numerous phenomena, such as cancer, and makes several unique, testable predictions for interdisciplinary research that have implications not only for evolutionary developmental biology but also for biomedicine and perhaps artificial intelligence and exobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
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