Engineering consortia by polymeric microbial swarmbots

Abstract

Synthetic microbial consortia represent a new frontier for synthetic biology given that they can solve more complex problems than monocultures. However, most attempts to co-cultivate these artificial communities fail because of the winner-takes-all in nutrients competition. In soil, multiple species can coexist with a spatial organization. Inspired by nature, here we show that an engineered spatial segregation method can assemble stable consortia with both flexibility and precision. We create microbial swarmbot consortia (MSBC) by encapsulating subpopulations with polymeric microcapsules. The crosslinked structure of microcapsules fences microbes, but allows the transport of small molecules and proteins. MSBC method enables the assembly of various synthetic communities and the precise control over the subpopulations. These capabilities can readily modulate the division of labor and communication. Our work integrates the synthetic biology and material science to offer insights into consortia assembly and serve as foundation to diverse applications from biomanufacturing to engineered photosynthesis.

A roadmap to establish a comprehensive platform for sustainable manufacturing of natural products in yeast

“…However, extensive follow-up work must be performed on the co-culture of autotrophic bacteria and yeast 61 . Another technique called microbial swarmbot consortia (MSBC) has been created by encapsulating subpopulations in polymeric microcapsules 62 . The cross-linked structure of microcapsules spatially segregates the microbial cells but permits the small-size molecules and proteins to pass.…”

Engineered Living Materials For Sustainability

“…For instance, recently, Wang et al exploited chitosan microcapsules to assemble various consortia from one or more species and developed a 34-enzyme swarmbot consortium system for multiprotein manufacturing. 285…”

“…In addition to microfluidic/microwell devices, other technologies, such as microencapsulation and 3D printing, , can also provide physical insulation, which exhibits great potential to optimize living factories for bioproduction. For instance, recently, Wang et al exploited chitosan microcapsules to assemble various consortia from one or more species and developed a 34-enzyme swarmbot consortium system for multiprotein manufacturing …”

Research progress of bio-slurry remediation technology for organic contaminated soil

“…Bioremediation describes using microorganisms to degrade organic pollutants in soil into products that are less toxic or harmless to the environment. 8 Among them, the in situ bioremediation technology is to add nutrients or foreign microorganisms to the polluted soil in situ for remediation. Still, due to the complex composition of the contaminated soil, the microorganisms are susceptible to death due to adverse environmental effects.…”