Beyond toothpicks: new methods for isolating mutant bacteria

Over the past 50 years genetic analysis in microbiology has relied predominantly on selections and plate assays using chromogenic enzyme substrates - for example, X-gal assays for the detection of beta-galactosidase activity. Recent advances in fluorescent assays and high throughput screening techno...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature reviews. Microbiology 2007-09, Vol.5 (9), p.680-688
Main Authors: Georgiou, George, Link, A. James, Jeong, Ki Jun
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bacteria
Bacteria - cytology
Bacteria - genetics
Bacteria - isolation & purification
Bacterial Proteins - genetics
Bacterial Proteins - metabolism
Cell division
Cloning
Enzymes
Evolution
Evolution, Molecular
Flow cytometry
Flow Cytometry - methods
Genetic aspects
Genetic engineering
Genetic screening
Genotype & phenotype
Identification and classification
Methods
Microbial genetics
Microbiological Techniques - methods
Microscopy
Mutation
Power
Protein Binding
Proteins
Spectrum analysis
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Summary:Over the past 50 years genetic analysis in microbiology has relied predominantly on selections and plate assays using chromogenic enzyme substrates - for example, X-gal assays for the detection of beta-galactosidase activity. Recent advances in fluorescent assays and high throughput screening technologies have paved the way for the rapid isolation of mutants that confer complex phenotypes and for the quantitative analysis of the evolution of new traits in bacterial populations. This Review highlights the power of novel single-cell screening technologies and their applications to genetics, evolution and the biotechnological uses of bacteria.
ISSN:1740-1526
1740-1534
DOI:10.1038/nrmicro1715