E. coli with Artificial Enzyme Syn-F4 Created by Princeton Researchers (IMAGE)
Caption
Colonies of E. coli grow on iron rich medium. All cells were engineered to loose their natural Fes enzyme. They form small, unhealthy red colonies because they accumulate iron bound to enterobactin, and barely have enough free iron to grow. In contrast, cells containing the artificial enzyme Syn-F4 form large, healthy white colonies because the novel protein catalyzes the cleavage of enterobactin and subsequent release of the iron needed for healthy growth. (Note: If these cells were placed on petri dishes with minimal iron, the red colonies would not appear at all because they would not have enough free iron to sustain cell growth.)
Credit
Courtesy of Ann Donnelly/Hecht Lab/Princeton University
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