Science Daily December 17, 2018
In a cell, proteins evolve that can respond to a single prompt in a sea of information. Natural proteins that move electrons more or less act as wires that are always there. To leverage this ability of the proteins, a team of researchers in the US (Rice University, Boston University) made a proof-of-concept metal-containing proteins. They embedded it in E. coli and introduced 4-hydroxytamoxifen, an estrogen receptor modulator to express the protein and thus were able to turn on the switch in the presence of the chemical or off in its absence. The proteins could facilitate next-generation bioelectronics, including complete biological circuits within cells that mimic their electronic counterparts. The possible applications include living sensors, electronically controlled metabolic pathways for chemical synthesis and active pills that sense their environment and release drugs only when needed…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ
Rice University scientists used E. coli bacteria as a platform to test protein switches that can be used to control the flow of electrons. Proteins placed in cells can simply be turned on and off with chemical signals. Credit: Illustration by Josh Atkinson/Rice University