Cellular responsiveness as a predictive indicator for population collapse and autonomous control in continuous cultures of Pseudomonas putida.

Cellular responsiveness in Pseudomonas putida KT2440 decreases with benzoate exposure and predicts population collapse in continuous cultures.

• Why it matters: Understanding microbial responses to environmental changes is crucial for optimizing biotechnological applications and ensuring population stability under stress conditions.
• What they did: Using fluorescent biosensors and flow cytometry in the Segregostat platform, the study monitored how benzoate reduces gene circuit activation, revealing a concentration-dependent suppression linked to fitness loss, modeled through resource competition.
• The result: A non-responsive subpopulation signals impending collapse, enabling autonomous control via a bioreactor system that adjusts benzoate feeding based on population structure, promoting stable substrate consumption and process stability.