A Synthetic Circuit for Mercury Bioremediation Using Self-Assembling Functional Amyloids

Abstract

Synthetic biology approaches to bioremediation are a key sustainable strategy to leverage the self-replicating and programmable aspects of biology for environmental stewardship. The increasing spread of anthropogenic mercury pollution into our habitats and food chains is a pressing concern. Here, we explore the use of programmed bacterial biofilms to aid in the sequestration of mercury. We demonstrate that by integrating a mercury-responsive promoter and an operon encoding a mercury-absorbing self-assembling extracellular protein nanofiber, we can engineer bacteria that can detect and sequester toxic Hg2+ ions from the environment. This work paves the way for the development of on-demand biofilm living materials that can operate autonomously as heavy-metal absorbents.