Emory researchers control E. coli movement

Researchers at Emory University in Atlanta have found a good use for E. coli by reprogramming the nasty bacteria’s chemo-navigational system, or chemotaxis, to detect, follow, and precisely “localize to” specific chemical signals. As our readers may recall from advanced college biology courses, chemotactic bacteria navigate chemical environments by coupling their information-processing capabilities to tiny molecular motors that propel the cells forward. As well-designed travelers, researchers have long envisioned reprogramming them so that microbes capable of synthesizing an anti-cancer drug, for instance, can be used to target diseased cells while sparing healthy cells of side effects.

The Emory researchers accomplished the task by equipping the bacteria with a “riboswitch,” a segment of RNA that changes shape when bound to certain small target molecules. “This new ability to equip motile bacteria with a precise and tunable chemo-navigation system will greatly enhance the impressive arsenal of natural and engineered cell behaviors,” said researcher Justin Gallivan. Other possible applications include for the use of bacteria to clean up oil spills or remove other pollutants from soil, water, and wastewater.