Study of Signal Processing in Quorum Sensing at Single-Cell Level

Tao Long (Princeton University)

Abstract

Accurate and faithful signal processing is essential for living cells to make correct adjustments in response to various extracellular cues. Quorum sensing is a process in which bacteria produce and respond to autoinducers to regulate cell density dependent gene expression. To investigate the problem of information processing in quorum sensing circuit, fluorescent protein reporters and single-cell microscopy are applied to quantitatively measure the intracellular response in a quorum-sensing bacterium – Vibrio harveyi. Combined with modeling, we explored features such as integration and disentanglement of multiple signals, sensitivity of signal response and fidelity of signal propagation in presence of inevitable noise.

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