Engineered Marine Biofilms for Ocean Environment Monitoring

Marine bacteria offer
a promising alternative for developing Engineered
Living Materials (ELMs) tailored to marine applications. We engineered Dinoroseobacter shibae to increase its surface-associated
growth and develop biosensors for ocean environment monitoring. By
fusing the endogenous extracellular matrix amyloidogenic protein CsgA
with mussel foot proteins, we significantly increased D. shibae biofilm formation. Additionally, D. shibae was engineered to express the tyrosinase
enzyme to further enhance microbial attachment through post-translational
modifications of tyrosine residues. By exploiting D.
shibae‘s natural genetic resources, two environmental
biosensors were created to detect temperature and oxygen. These biosensors
were coupled with a CRISPR-based recording system to store transient
gene expression in stable DNA arrays, enabling long-term environmental
monitoring. These engineered strains highlight D. shibae‘s potential in advancing marine microbiome engineering for innovative
biofilm applications, including the development of natural, self-renewing
biological adhesives, environmental sensors, and “sentinel”
cells equipped with CRISPR-recording technology to capture and store
environmental signals.