Engineering Natural Selection: A Sensor/Selector Assay to Identify New Antimicrobial Compounds

Yeast synthetic biology is a nascent field of research with great potential to combat the looming threat of antibiotic resistance. This project will develop a unique and powerful (yet simple and inexpensive) screening assay to discover new compounds active against bacteria. Essentially, this assay will introduce a selection pressure (‘survival of the fittest’) to a variable yeast cell population so that only cells producing effective antimicrobial compounds will grow through the killing of adjacent bacteria. Furthermore, elements of this system will be developed into ‘living biosensors’ for the red/white visual detection of bacteria. Expected outcomes will significantly advance our ability to identify new antimicrobial compounds, with the potential for real-world impact in the fight against antibiotic resistance.