Project Description

E. Casso is an E. coli system engineered into art. This system consists of two types of genetically modified E. coli: the random signal generating E. coli (the “Brush E. coli”) and the color generating E. coli (the “Paint E. coli”).

The Brush E. coli possesses genes (lasI, luxI, rhlI, and cinI) that produce quorum in its chromosomal DNA. Each Brush E. coli will secrete quorum molecules randomly associated with one of four colors among red, cyan, yellow, and green by a modified Cre-loxP mechanism.

The Paint E.coli possesses plasmid vectors that express one of four colors of fluorescent proteins in response to the type of quorum it receives from the Brush E.coli. The quorum sensing complex completed in the Brush will bind to the ribosome binding site (RBS) of the corresponding fluorescent gene.

Using this system, we can create art on an LP plate with the cells' “random” contribution.