Background Information on GBL system

Bacterial communication and Synthetic Biology

Many microorganisms produce antibiotics in order to gain a competitive advantage over other organisms for their survival. However, coordination between members of the population is critical as the end products can be fatal for the colony if produced in an unregulated manner. One prominent mechanism employed is a mechanism of "voting" by members of the colony, by sensing and producing signalling molecules. If a large number of surrounding neigbours are producing the signalling molecules in response to an environmental cue, this is likely to indicate the right moment to produce antibiotics.

These mechanisms have been targeted by synthetic biology whose core aim is the design and engineering of complex biological systems with functionalities that do not exist in nature. In order to accomplish this, novel regulatory circuits need to be developed, which will enable the precise control of gene expression over a wide range of conditions.