To resolve this problem, a team of researchers ...

Just before Christmas the season of cells that are similar to Christmas lights twinkle. University of California - San Diego scientists have created a flashing neon signs of bacterial cells that could eventually be used to detect toxic substances and their concentration. The study, directed by Jeff Hasty, a professor of biology and bioengineering at the University of California at San Diego, involves binding of fluorescent protein in bacterial cell biology hours, and then synchronize the biological clock strattera side effects. This leads to the simultaneous flashing glowing cells. Researchers have created by clicking on their natural form of communication between them. Bacterial cells are synchronized by a quorum, where they convey the molecules together and start a synchronization behavior. However, using this method to synchronize millions of bacteria from different colonies, is challenging. To resolve this problem, a team of researchers studied the method in which colonies of bacteria emit gases, which in general, you can synchronize the different colonies, not just one. Using a quorum to push gas exchange, the researchers were able to synchronize the colony of bacterial cells in a special mikroflyuidnyy chip that can contain up to 60 million cells. Each colony of cells is flashing biopixel, which is similar to a pixel on a computer screen. Big mikroflyuidnyh chips can contain up to 13,000 biopixels. Glowing cells may sound like a Lite Brite knock-off, but the project has the potential in real applications. For Hasty and research group, the luminescent bacteria cells can be used for the life of the sensors that detect toxic substances such as arsenic. Advantages of biological sensors in comparison with conventional chemical sensors is that the live version can respond to the presence and quantity of toxic substances in the region over time because of its living organisms. Bacteria are very sensitive to their ecological environment. In fact, the hasty and his team have created a living sensor that can detect low. Biological sensors indicates the presence and concentration of arsenic through the oscillation frequency of cells flashing. Such living sensors intriguing as they may serve for continuous monitoring of the sample over a long period of time, while the majority of sets are used to identify one dimension of time, said hurriedly. Because the bacteria responsible differently in different concentrations, varying the frequency of blinking model, they can provide continuous updates as dangerous toxin or pathogen at any time. Hasty see this become a reality within five years. Source:.