The Asally Lab

Our Research

BACTERIAL ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY

Electrophysiology and bioelectrical signaling are most well studied in neuroscience. However, studies have shown that bioelectrical signaling is more universal than generally believed. In fact, bioelectrical signaling can be found in all major domains of life -including bacteria, plants and animal somatic cells. We are interested in decoding bacterial electrical signaling during cellular differentiation, antibiotics tolerance and cell division. We believe that investigating these fundamental cellular processes through the lens of bioelectricity can reveal new insights.

Skates et al (2024) Biophysical Reports
De Souza et al (2023) Advanced Science
Benarroch & Asally (2020) Trends in Microbiology
Sirec et al. (2019) iScience
Stratford et al. (2019) PNAS
Prindle et al. (2015) Nature

COLLECTIVE DYNAMICS

Self-organization is a universal phenomenon in biology — in fact that is how you are formed into a shape by cells. Although bacteria are commonly thought as single-cellular organisms, it has become clear that bacterial cells can also self-organize into dynamic and structured patterns and exhibit multi-cellular properties. Intriguingly, the self-organized communities of microbes, such as biofilms and swarms, can tolerate the levels of antibiotics that are lethal to the genetically identical cells in the isolate. This is important in the face of rising concerns about antimicrobial resistance. We investigate the roles played by physical (e.g. mechanical and electrical) interactions during the emergence of multicellular properties.

Prakash et al., (2024) Royal Society Interface
Grobas, Polin & Asally (2021) eLife
Jiang et al. (2018) ISME Journal
Liu et al. (2015) Nature
Asally et al. (2012) PNAS

SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY & TOOL DEVELOPMENT

We won't stop by gaining understanding. We are committed to exploiting our understanding and our ideas to develop new technologies and designs for monitoring and controlling bacterial functions. We make experimental tools using microcomputers and 3D printers and synthetic-biology tools through genetic engineering. We hope to bridge the gap between electronics and biology. One company, Cytecom Ltd, has been spun out from the lab.

Kantsler et al., (2019) ACS Synthetic Biology
Stratford et al (2019) PNAS
Kano et al. (2018) ALIFE

Funding

Our research is made possible by generous support from: