Bio-engineers and biologists at UC San Diego have created a living "neon" sign composed of bacteria. The sign is made up of millions of bacterial cells that light up in unison periodically. This was achieved by attaching a fluorescent protein to the "biological clock" of the bacteria, and then utilizing a bacterial communication mechanism called quorum sensing to synchronize each clock. This allowed for entire colonies to glow all at once together. The research is now also branching into further development of bio-sensors that will allow detection of things such as arsenic.
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