Cover Feature: Cellular Biocatalysts Using Synthetic Genetic Circuits for Prolonged and Durable Enzymatic Activity (ChemBioChem 14/2019)

Abstract

A genetic logic-gate-based operation can activate a cellular biocatalyst. The biocatalyst needs two different inputs to be activated. Two different approaches were employed to build the AND genetic logic gate, the first approach uses a recombinase-based gate; the other approach uses a toehold-switch-based approach. The Boolean logic gate enables the formation of a biofilm-supported biocatalyst. The first circuit triggers the cell to express alkaline phosphatase and an additional circuit provides the secretion of a biofilm matrix composed of proteins that are called functional amyloids. The biofilm matrix protects the cellular biocatalyst against the negative effects of elevated temperatures. More information can be found in the full paper by U. O. S. Seker et al. on page 1799 in Issue 14, 2019 (DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201800767).