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Millett P, Alexanian T, Brink KR, Carter SR, Diggans J, Palmer MJ, Ritterson R, Sandbrink JB, Wheeler NE. Beyond Biosecurity by Taxonomic Lists: Lessons, Challenges, and Opportunities. Health Secur 2023; 21:521-529. [PMID: 37856148 PMCID: PMC10733751 DOI: 10.1089/hs.2022.0109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Piers Millett
- Piers Millett, PhD, is Executive Director, International Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiative for Science, Washington, DC
| | - Tessa Alexanian
- Tessa Alexanian is Safety and Security Program Officer, iGEM Foundation, Paris, France
| | - Kathryn R. Brink
- Kathryn R. Brink, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for International Security and Cooperation, at Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Sarah R. Carter
- Sarah R. Carter, PhD, is Principal, Science Policy Consulting LLC, Arlington, VA
| | - James Diggans
- James Diggans, PhD, is Head of Biosecurity, Twist Bioscience, San Francisco, CA
| | - Megan J. Palmer
- Megan J. Palmer, PhD, is Executive Director of Bio Policy & Leadership Initiatives and an Adjunct Professor, Department of Bioengineering; at Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Ryan Ritterson
- Ryan Ritterson, PhD, is Executive Vice President of Research, Gryphon Scientific LLC, Takoma Park, MD
| | - Jonas B. Sandbrink
- Jonas B. Sandbrink is a Doctoral Researcher, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Nicole E. Wheeler
- Nicole E. Wheeler, PhD, is a Turing Fellow, Institute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Brink KR, Hunt MG, Mu AM, Groszman K, Hoang KV, Lorch KP, Pogostin BH, Gunn JS, Tabor JJ. An E. coli display method for characterization of peptide-sensor kinase interactions. Nat Chem Biol 2023; 19:451-459. [PMID: 36482094 PMCID: PMC10065900 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-01207-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria use two-component system (TCS) signaling pathways to sense and respond to peptides involved in host defense, quorum sensing and inter-bacterial warfare. However, little is known about the broad peptide-sensing capabilities of TCSs. In this study, we developed an Escherichia coli display method to characterize the effects of human antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) on the pathogenesis-regulating TCS PhoPQ of Salmonella Typhimurium with much higher throughput than previously possible. We found that PhoPQ senses AMPs with diverse sequences, structures and biological functions. We further combined thousands of displayed AMP variants with machine learning to identify peptide sub-domains and biophysical features linked to PhoPQ activation. Most of the newfound AMP activators induce PhoPQ in S. Typhimurium, suggesting possible roles in virulence regulation. Finally, we present evidence that PhoPQ peptide-sensing specificity has evolved across commensal and pathogenic bacteria. Our method enables new insights into the specificities, mechanisms and evolutionary dynamics of TCS-mediated peptide sensing in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn R Brink
- Ph.D. Program in Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Maxwell G Hunt
- Ph.D. Program in Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Andrew M Mu
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ken Groszman
- Operations Research Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ky V Hoang
- Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
- Infectious Diseases Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Kevin P Lorch
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - John S Gunn
- Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
- Infectious Diseases Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jeffrey J Tabor
- Ph.D. Program in Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
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Mackelprang R, Aurand ER, Bovenberg RAL, Brink KR, Charo RA, Delborne JA, Diggans J, Ellington AD, Fortman JL“C, Isaacs FJ, Medford JI, Murray RM, Noireaux V, Palmer MJ, Zoloth L, Friedman DC. Guiding Ethical Principles in Engineering Biology Research. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:907-910. [PMID: 33977723 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Engineering biology is being applied toward solving or mitigating some of the greatest challenges facing society. As with many other rapidly advancing technologies, the development of these powerful tools must be considered in the context of ethical uses for personal, societal, and/or environmental advancement. Researchers have a responsibility to consider the diverse outcomes that may result from the knowledge and innovation they contribute to the field. Together, we developed a Statement of Ethics in Engineering Biology Research to guide researchers as they incorporate the consideration of long-term ethical implications of their work into every phase of the research lifecycle. Herein, we present and contextualize this Statement of Ethics and its six guiding principles. Our goal is to facilitate ongoing reflection and collaboration among technical researchers, social scientists, policy makers, and other stakeholders to support best outcomes in engineering biology innovation and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Mackelprang
- Engineering Biology Research Consortium, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Emily R. Aurand
- Engineering Biology Research Consortium, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Roel A. L. Bovenberg
- Synthetic Biology and Cell Engineering, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
- DSM Biotechnology Centre, Delft, 2613AX, The Netherlands
| | - Kathryn R. Brink
- PhD Program in Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - R. Alta Charo
- The University of Wisconsin Law School, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Jason A. Delborne
- Genetic Engineering and Society Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - James Diggans
- Twist Bioscience, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Andrew D. Ellington
- Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | | | - Farren J. Isaacs
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, United States
| | - June I. Medford
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Richard M. Murray
- Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, United States
| | - Vincent Noireaux
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Megan J. Palmer
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94040, United States
| | - Laurie Zoloth
- University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Douglas C. Friedman
- Engineering Biology Research Consortium, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
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Schmidl SR, Ekness F, Sofjan K, Daeffler KNM, Brink KR, Landry BP, Gerhardt KP, Dyulgyarov N, Sheth RU, Tabor JJ. Rewiring bacterial two-component systems by modular DNA-binding domain swapping. Nat Chem Biol 2019; 15:690-698. [PMID: 31110305 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-019-0286-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Two-component systems (TCSs) are the largest family of multi-step signal transduction pathways and valuable sensors for synthetic biology. However, most TCSs remain uncharacterized or difficult to harness for applications. Major challenges are that many TCS output promoters are unknown, subject to cross-regulation, or silent in heterologous hosts. Here, we demonstrate that the two largest families of response regulator DNA-binding domains can be interchanged with remarkable flexibility, enabling the corresponding TCSs to be rewired to synthetic output promoters. We exploit this plasticity to eliminate cross-regulation, un-silence a gram-negative TCS in a gram-positive host, and engineer a system with over 1,300-fold activation. Finally, we apply DNA-binding domain swapping to screen uncharacterized Shewanella oneidensis TCSs in Escherichia coli, leading to the discovery of a previously uncharacterized pH sensor. This work should accelerate fundamental TCS studies and enable the engineering of a large family of genetically encoded sensors with diverse applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian R Schmidl
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.,RELLIS campus, Texas A&M University, Bryan, TX, USA
| | - Felix Ekness
- PhD Program in Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Katri Sofjan
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Kathryn R Brink
- PhD Program in Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Brian P Landry
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Karl P Gerhardt
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Ravi U Sheth
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jeffrey J Tabor
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA. .,PhD Program in Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA. .,Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
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Greenquist MA, Schwarz AK, Klopfenstein TJ, Schacht WH, Erickson GE, Vander Pol KJ, Luebbe MK, Brink KR, Baleseng LB. Effects of nitrogen fertilization and dried distillers grains supplementation: nitrogen use efficiency. J Anim Sci 2010; 89:1146-52. [PMID: 21148781 DOI: 10.2527/jas.2010-2902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In a 3-yr study, 135 crossbred steers (330 ± 10 kg) were used in a randomized complete block design to evaluate corn dried distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS) fed to yearling steers as a substitute for forage and N fertilizer and its effect on N use efficiency in yearling steers grazing smooth bromegrass pastures. Steers were initially stocked at 6.8 animal unit months (AUM)/ha on nonfertilized smooth bromegrass pastures (CONT), at 9.9 AUM/ha on smooth bromegrass pastures fertilized with 90 kg of N/ha (FERT), or at 9.9 AUM/ha on nonfertilized smooth bromegrass pastures with 2.3 kg (DM) of DDGS supplemented daily per steer (SUPP). Paddock was the experimental unit, with 3 replications per treatment per year for 3 yr. Paddocks were strip-grazed, and put-and-take cattle were used to maintain similar grazing pressure among treatment paddocks during the 160-d grazing season. Steers consumed less forage (P < 0.01), but total N intake for SUPP was greater (P < 0.01) per steer and per hectare than for FERT, and both were greater (P < 0.01) than for CONT. Nitrogen retention for steers in the SUPP treatment was increased (P < 0.01) by 31% compared with N retention in the CONT and FERT treatments. Nitrogen retention per hectare for SUPP was 30 and 98% greater (P < 0.01) than N retention per hectare for FERT and CONT, respectively. Nitrogen excretion per steer and per hectare were also greater (P < 0.01) for SUPP than FERT, and both were increased (P < 0.01) compared with CONT. Animal N use efficiency was similar (P = 0.29) for steers in the CONT, FERT, and SUPP treatments. However, system-based N use improved (P < 0.01) by 144% for SUPP compared with FERT. The DDGS increased N intake and N excretion in yearling steers. However, because of improvements in BW gain and increases in stocking rate of pastures, DDGS can be a useful tool to increase the efficiency of N use in smooth bromegrass grazing systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Greenquist
- Animal Science Department, University of Nebraska, Lincoln 68583-0908, USA
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