Engineered bacteria that self-assemble "bioglass" polysilicate coatings display enhanced light focusing.

ABSTRACT: Photonic devices are cutting-edge optical materials that produce narrow, intense beams of light, but their synthesis typically requires toxic, complex methodology. Here we employ a synthetic biology approach to produce environmentally-friendly, living microlenses with tunable structural properties. We engineered Escherichia coli bacteria to display the silica biomineralization enzyme silicatein from aquatic sea sponges. Our silicatein-expressing bacteria can self-assemble a shell of polysilicate "bioglass" around themselves. Remarkably, the polysilicate-encapsulated bacteria can focus light into intense nanojets that are nearly an order of magnitude brighter than unmodified bacteria. Polysilicate-encapsulated bacteria are metabolically active for up to four months, potentially allow

SUBMITTER: Sidor LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11185756 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature