Electrogenetic signaling and information propagation for controlling microbial consortia via programmed lysis

To probe signal propagation and genetic actuation in microbial consortia, we have coopted the components of both redox and quorum sensing (QS) signaling into a communication network for guiding composition by “programming” cell lysis. Here, we use an electrode to generate hydrogen peroxide as a redox cue that determines consortia composition. The oxidative stress regulon of Escherichia coli, OxyR, is employed to receive and transform this signal into a QS signal that coordinates the lysis of a subpopulation of cells. We examine a suite of information transfer modalities including “monoculture” and “transmitter‐receiver” models, as well as a series of genetic circuits that introduce time‐delays for altering information relay, thereby expanding design space. A simple mathematical model aids in developing communication schemes that accommodate the transient nature of redox signals and the “collective” attributes of QS signals. We suggest this platform methodology will be useful in understanding and controlling synthetic microbial consortia for a variety of applications, including biomanufacturing and biocontainment. Synthetic microbial consortia offer the opportunity to distribute tasks among constituent species and use signaling networks to achieve complex functions. Here, the authors use electronic inputs to control the subpopulation composition of a synthetic consortia via programmed lysis. By examining different signal transfer modalities and synthetic biology designs, they identify key features for abiotic‐to‐biotic signal transmission and actuation and develop a simple mathematical model to aid understanding of the communication network.