Systems Biology - Organisms - Bacillus subtilis

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Project Description

Stress response in Bacillus subtilis: Diversification, quorum sensing, and memory in the game for survival

Bacillus subtilis is well known for its rich stress response spectrum (its ability to take up extracellular DNA, differentiate into spores, synthesize degradative enzymes, become motile…).

B. subtilis exhibits epigenetic stress response diversification: that is, in a genetically isoclonal population of cells under identical environmental conditions, some cells will embark on the ‘selected’ stress response, while the remainder activates alternative pathways. This project aims to systematically measure the fraction of B. subtilis cells committing to all possible combinations of specific stress responses in series of stress conditions designed to exercise each part of the integrated network controlling these processes. We are collecting data at an average population level (microarrays), a subpopulation level, and a single cell level (fluorimetry, microscopy, flow cytometry). This data set, made unique by the coordinated measurements across multiple modalities, will be analyzed through formal comparison to a mathematical model.

This project is a joint project between Pr. Keasling and Pr. Arkin groups.

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