Seminars

Spatial structure shapes the metabolic behavior of microbial communities in environments like the human gut. However, tools to rationally engineer this structure remain limited. We developed a “DNA velcro” system using cell-surface click chemistry to attach single-stranded DNA to cells, enabling controlled aggregate formation across species. We hypothesize this technique allows modulation of spatial organization to tune community metabolic flux without genetic modification, opening new possibilities for engineering microbial metabolic pathways.