| It is known that, in bacteria, genes are expressed as a response to metabolic or any external stress in order to increase their chance of survival. One such gene in E.coli is the rpoS gene; it regulates the expression of a wide variety of stress-related genes which triggers entrance into stationary phase. We use a genetically engineered rpoS mutant to study the interaction of two competing species of bacteria. |
Microfabricated environments are used to study the evolutionary dynamics of bacteria when subjected to metabolic or physical stress |
Publications
- Keymer JE, Galajda P, Lambert G, Liao D, Austin RH. 2008. Computation of mutual fitness by competing bacteria. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 105(51):20269-20273
- Keymer JE, Galajda P, Muldoon C, Park S, Austin RH. 2006. Bacterial metapopulations in nanofabricated landscapes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 103(46):17290-17295.