application-an-vitro-dna-protection-assay-to-visualize-stress

Application of an <em>In vitro</em> DNA Protection Assay to Visualize Stress Mediation Properties of the Dps Protein

Oxidative stress is an unavoidable byproduct of  aerobic life.  Molecular oxygen is  essential for terrestrial metabolism, but it also takes part in many ...

three-dimensional-patterning-engineered-biofilms-with-do-it-yourself

Three-dimensional Patterning of Engineered Biofilms with a Do-it-yourself Bioprinter

Biofilms are aggregates of bacteria embedded in a self-produced spatially-patterned extracellular matrix. Bacteria within a biofilm develop enhanced ...

Delft University of Technology

University of Rochester

The bacterial cytoplasm, once thought to be a relatively undifferentiated reaction medium, has now been recognized to have extensive microstructure. This microstructure includes bacterial microcompartments, inclusion bodies, granules, and even some membrane-bound vesicles. Several recent papers suggest that bacteria may also organize their cytoplasm using an additional mechanism: phase-separated membraneless organelles, a strategy commonly used by eukaryotes. Phase-separated membraneless organelles such as Cajal bodies, the nucleolus, and stress granules allow proteins to become concentrated in sub-compartments of eukaryotic cells without being surrounded by a barrier to diffusion. In this review, we summarize the known structural organization of the bacterial cytoplasm and discuss the recent evidence that phase-separated membraneless organelles might also play a role in bacterial systems. We specifically focus on bacterial ribonucleoprotein complexes and two different protein components of the bacterial nucleoid that may have the ability to form subcellular partitions within bacteria cells.

More than just a phase: the search for membraneless organelles in the bacterial cytoplasm.

The impressive mechanical properties of natural composites, such as nacre, arise from their multiscale hierarchical structures, which span from nano- to macroscale and lead to effective energy dissipation. While some synthetic bioinspired materials have achieved the toughness of natural nacre, current production methods are complex and typically involve toxic chemicals, extreme temperatures, and/or high pressures. Here, the exclusive use of bacteria to produce nacre-inspired layered calcium carbonate-polyglutamate composite materials that reach and exceed the toughness of natural nacre, while additionally exhibiting high extensibility and maintaining high stiffness, is introduced. The extensive diversity of bacterial metabolic abilities and the possibility of genetic engineering allows for the creation of a library of bacterially produced, cost-effective, and eco-friendly composite materials.

Bacterially Produced, Nacre-Inspired Composite Materials.

Nature is based on complex self-assembling systems that span from the nanoscale to the macroscale. We have already begun to design biomimetic systems with properties that have not evolved in nature, based on designed molecular interactions and regulation of biological systems. Synthetic biology is based on the principle of modularity, repurposing diverse building modules to design new types of molecular and cellular assemblies. While we are currently able to use techniques from synthetic biology to design self-assembling molecules and re-engineer functional cells, we still need to use guided assembly to construct biological assemblies at the macroscale. We review the recent strategies for designing biological systems ranging from molecular assemblies based on self-assembly of (poly)peptides to the guided assembly of patterned bacteria, spanning 7 orders of magnitude.

Anne S. Meyer

Department of Bionanoscience,
Kavli Institute of Nanoscience,
Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience

Delft University of Technology

Application of an In vitro DNA Protection Assay to Visualize Stress Mediation Properties of the Dps Protein

Three-dimensional Patterning of Engineered Biofilms with a Do-it-yourself Bioprinter

Anne S. Meyer

.css-o250i3{font-size:18px;font-family:Open Sans,sans-serif;line-height:21.6px;}Department of Bionanoscience,Kavli Institute of Nanoscience,Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience

Delft University of Technology

Application of an In vitro DNA Protection Assay to Visualize Stress Mediation Properties of the Dps Protein

Three-dimensional Patterning of Engineered Biofilms with a Do-it-yourself Bioprinter

Department of Bionanoscience,
Kavli Institute of Nanoscience,
Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience