1月5日,，國(guó)際著名雜志Nature刊登了國(guó)外研究人員的最新研究成果“A sensing array of radically coupled genetic ‘biopixels’,。”，文章中,，作者揭示了一種基于“生物像素”的傳感器,。
第一批合成生物振蕩器（設(shè)計(jì)用來(lái)完成單一功能的轉(zhuǎn)錄調(diào)控因子網(wǎng)絡(luò)）是僅僅在十年前才開(kāi)發(fā)出來(lái)的。最近,，使得通過(guò)細(xì)菌“群感效應(yīng)”耦合在一起的一組這樣的振蕩器實(shí)現(xiàn)同步已經(jīng)成為可能,，但僅僅限于短距離同步。現(xiàn)在,，通過(guò)將兩個(gè)協(xié)同通信模式（過(guò)氧化氫氣體的生成和氧化還原信號(hào)作用）結(jié)合在一起,，Jeff Hasty及其同事使得分布在“群感效應(yīng)”群落（或稱(chēng)之為“生物像素”）中、分布范圍達(dá)幾厘米,、群體數(shù)量極大（大約5000萬(wàn)個(gè)細(xì)胞）的大腸桿菌實(shí)現(xiàn)了同步,。這個(gè)陣列被用來(lái)構(gòu)建一個(gè)像液晶顯示器（LCD）一樣的、宏觀尺度的時(shí)鐘,，該時(shí)鐘能夠通過(guò)對(duì)振蕩周期的調(diào)制來(lái)感應(yīng)砷的存在,。通過(guò)進(jìn)一步開(kāi)發(fā)，這種類(lèi)型的“生物像素”也許會(huì)成為能夠檢測(cè)重金屬和病原體的低成本基因生物傳感器的基礎(chǔ),。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi:10.1038/nature10722
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A sensing array of radically coupled genetic ‘biopixels’
Arthur Prindle, Phillip Samayoa, Ivan Razinkov, Tal Danino, Lev S. Tsimring & Jeff Hasty
Although there has been considerable progress in the development of engineering principles for synthetic biology, a substantial challenge is the construction of robust circuits in a noisy cellular environment. Such an environment leads to considerable intercellular variability in circuit behaviour, which can hinder functionality at the colony level. Here we engineer the synchronization of thousands of oscillating colony ‘biopixels’ over centimetre-length scales through the use of synergistic intercellular coupling involving quorum sensing within a colony and gas-phase redox signalling between colonies. We use this platform to construct a liquid crystal display (LCD)-like macroscopic clock that can be used to sense arsenic via modulation of the oscillatory period. Given the repertoire of sensing capabilities of bacteria such as Escherichia coli, the ability to coordinate their behaviour over large length scales sets the stage for the construction of low cost genetic biosensors that are capable of detecting heavy metals and pathogens in the field.
