Research

Engineering bacteria to solve the Burnt Pancake Problem

Karmella A Haynes¹ , Marian L Broderick⁴ , Adam D Brown³ , Trevor L Butner³ , James O Dickson² , W Lance Harden² , Lane H Heard^3,6 , Eric L Jessen³ , Kelly J Malloy³ , Brad J Ogden² , Sabriya Rosemond^1,5 , Samantha Simpson¹ , Erin Zwack¹ , A Malcolm Campbell¹ , Todd T Eckdahl³ , Laurie J Heyer² and Jeffrey L Poet⁴

¹Davidson College, Department of Biology, Davidson, NC 28036, USA

²Davidson College, Department of Mathematics, Davidson, NC 28036, USA

³Missouri Western State University, Department of Biology, St. Joseph, MO 64507, USA

⁴Missouri Western State University, Department of Computer Science, Math and Physics, St. Joseph, MO 64507, USA

⁵Hampton University, Biology Department, Hampton, VA 23668, USA

⁶Central High School, St. Joseph, MO 64506, USA

author email corresponding author email

Journal of Biological Engineering 2008, 2:8doi:10.1186/1754-1611-2-8

Published:	20 May 2008

Abstract

Background

We investigated the possibility of executing DNA-based computation in living cells by engineering Escherichia coli to address a classic mathematical puzzle called the Burnt Pancake Problem (BPP). The BPP is solved by sorting a stack of distinct objects (pancakes) into proper order and orientation using the minimum number of manipulations. Each manipulation reverses the order and orientation of one or more adjacent objects in the stack. We have designed a system that uses site-specific DNA recombination to mediate inversions of genetic elements that represent pancakes within plasmid DNA.

Results

Inversions (or "flips") of the DNA fragment pancakes are driven by the Salmonella typhimurium Hin/hix DNA recombinase system that we reconstituted as a collection of modular genetic elements for use in E. coli. Our system sorts DNA segments by inversions to produce different permutations of a promoter and a tetracycline resistance coding region; E. coli cells become antibiotic resistant when the segments are properly sorted. Hin recombinase can mediate all possible inversion operations on adjacent flippable DNA fragments. Mathematical modeling predicts that the system reaches equilibrium after very few flips, where equal numbers of permutations are randomly sorted and unsorted. Semiquantitative PCR analysis of in vivo flipping suggests that inversion products accumulate on a time scale of hours or days rather than minutes.

Conclusion

The Hin/hix system is a proof-of-concept demonstration of in vivo computation with the potential to be scaled up to accommodate larger and more challenging problems. Hin/hix may provide a flexible new tool for manipulating transgenic DNA in vivo.