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A nucleic acid-based bacterial message export system for cell-to-cell communication

Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2016. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (pages 36-38). / Communication within natural systems of eukaryotes and prokaryotes typically entails message transmission between and among cells via small-molecule messengers being funneled from the sender to the receiver cell. Nucleic acids are rarely used as extracellular messengers due to their labile nature and proclivity for enzymatic digestion. Eliminating these obstacles will allow for a larger array of messages to be sent with minimal cellular machinery. Exploiting the bacterial twin-arginine translocation (TAT) pathway and a nucleic-acid binding protein sourced from bacteriophage MS2, we have engineered a message-sending system in Escherichia coli capable of specifically exporting a "pre-written" circularized RNA message to the extracellular environment. This RNA message maintains its integrity over the course of at least four hours in extracellular growth medium, and this system serves as the first demonstration of versatile, stable messaging with nucleic acids, specifically with RNA, in the extracellular environment. / by Lisa Nip. / S.M.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:MIT/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/110882
Date January 2016
CreatorsNip, Lisa
ContributorsJoseph M. Jacobson., Program in Media Arts and Sciences (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Program in Media Arts and Sciences (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
PublisherMassachusetts Institute of Technology
Source SetsM.I.T. Theses and Dissertation
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Format38 pages, application/pdf
RightsMIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission., http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

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