The purpose of the proposed research is to genetically engineer bacteria to generate large amounts of heat in response to a cold shock. This will advance biological engineering by furthering current attempts at constructing and understanding complex gene networks. Applications of synthetic, thermogenerating bacteria range from the investigation of cold resistance evolution to the development of a new generation of inexpensive biosensors for environmental monitoring and contaminant detection. The experiment will focus on producing two distinct responses to a decrease in ambient temperature: cell aggregation leading to biofilm formation and overexpression of alternative oxidase (AOX), an enzyme associated with thermogenesis in plants.

Microorganisms respond to environmental stress through several means for survival. This research project also aims to engineer Escherichia coli cells to aggregate with one another forming a biofilm given a cold shock and link this “huddle” response with heat generation. Altering a cell’s reaction to external variations prolongs its ability to survive such a shock, thereby ensuring an evolutionary advantage over other species. Studying and manipulating a prokaryote’s stress response can broaden the prospective on evolutionary mechanisms in general.