Investigating the dynamics of microbial consortia in spatially structured environments.

ABSTRACT: The spatial organization of microbial communities arises from a complex interplay of biotic and abiotic interactions, and is a major determinant of ecosystem functions. Here we design a microfluidic platform to investigate how the spatial arrangement of microbes impacts gene expression and growth. We elucidate key biochemical parameters that dictate the mapping between spatial positioning and gene expression patterns. We show that distance can establish a low-pass filter to periodic inputs and can enhance the fidelity of information processing. Positive and negative feedback can play disparate roles in the synchronization and robustness of a genetic oscillator distributed between two strains to spatial separation. Quantification of growth and metabolite release in an amino-acid auxotroph c

SUBMITTER: Gupta S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7228966 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature