BME Special Seminar – Ingmar Riedel-Kruse, PhD

We welcome Dr. Ingmar Riedel-Kruse from the University of Arizona for a special seminar engagement. Dr. Riede-Kruse is an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology.

Synthetic Cell-cell Adhesins and 4-bit Logic for Programming Multicellular Bacterial Patterns and Materials

Abstract: Multicellular systems, from bacterial biofilms to human organs, form spatial patterns and interfaces to achieve complex functionality, promising applications like programmable biomaterials, artificial tissues, and metabolic consortia. Our ability to rationally engineer such active matter is still limited. My lab previously developed synthetic and optogenetic approaches to control cell-cell and cell-surface adhesion for bacterial self-assembly and patterning.

I will demonstrate a synthetic 4-bit cell-cell adhesin logic to experimentally program and mathematically model universal two-dimensional interface patterns. These interfaces are generated through a swarming adhesion mechanism that enables precise control over interface geometry as well as adhesion-mediated analogs of developmental organizers and morphogen fields. Utilizing tiling and four-color mapping concepts, I present algorithms for creating versatile target patterns. Remarkably, a minimal set of four adhesins suffices to program arbitrary tessellation patterns, implying a low critical threshold for the engineering and evolution of complex multicellular systems.

Furthermore, I will discuss the biophysical characterization of these tools and their applications to biomaterials. Finally, I will discuss ongoing and future projects in my lab, such as developing microbial consortia for facilitating biochemical synthesis, studying biofilm drug resistance, and reducing green-house gases