Phenazine-Based Synthetic Biology to Signal Between Cells and Electrodes

Abstract

Bioelectronic systems that enable seamless communication between electronic devices and living systems represent a transformative frontier in biotechnology. Among available methodologies, redox based signaling offers unique advantages due to its ubiquity in biology and compatibility with standard electrochemical equipment, expanding on existing electrogenetic approaches while simplifying entry requirements for researchers. Here, we developed a modular phenazine-based system that enables bidirectional redox communication between electronic devices and engineered bacterial populations using commercially available electrodes. Our system integrates readily into existing synthetic biology frameworks and leverages phenazine modifications to modulate signal reception across biological and electronic domains. We structured our design around four modular components within a communication channel framework: (1) electronic signal encoding via electrochemically generated hydrogen peroxide that activates engineered cells to produce quorum sensing molecules, (2) biological signal transmission through phenazine biosynthesis controlled by a single regulatory target (PhzF), (3) dual-domain signal reception via both SoxRS-responsive biological circuits and direct electrochemical detection, and (4) controllable noise through phenazine-specific degradation enzymes. We demonstrate proportional control over phenazine production with linear relationships between electronic inputs and both biological and electrochemical outputs. This modular approach establishes phenazines as versatile bridges between electronic and biological information processing, providing accessible tools for practical bioelectronic systems with applications in environmental monitoring, adaptive biomanufacturing, and responsive biomedical devices.