Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41022797›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Genetic controllers for enhancing the evolutionary longevity of synthetic gene circuits in bacteria.

Daniel P Byrom, Alexander P S Darlington

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Feedback Control and Sensitivity Analysis in Synthetic Gene Circuits.Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) · 2026
    Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Daniel P ByromWarwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre, School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
Alexander P S DarlingtonWarwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre, School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK. a.darlington.1@warwick.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8025-6329

Funding

RCUK | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) BB/Y007603/1, BB/Z517124/1RCUK | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) EP/W524645/1, EP/Y00342X/1, EP/X039587/1Royal Academy of Engineering RF/202021/20/270
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Engineered gene circuits often degrade due to mutation and selection, limiting their long-term utility. Here we present designs for genetic controllers which maintain synthetic gene expression over time. Using a multi-scale "host-aware" computational framework, which captures interactions between host and circuit expression, mutation, and mutant competition, we evaluate several controller architectures based on three metrics for evolutionary stability: total protein output, duration of stable output, and half-life of production. We propose a number of designs with varying inputs (e.g., output per cell, growth rate) and actuation methods (transcriptional vs. post-transcriptional regulation). We find post-transcriptional controllers generally outperform transcriptional ones, but no single design optimizes all goals. Negative autoregulation prolongs short term performance, while growth-based feedback extends functional half-life. We propose three biologically feasible, multi-input controllers that improve circuit half-life over threefold without requiring coupling the process to an essential gene or a genetic kill switch.

Indexed as

BacteriaEvolution, MolecularGene Regulatory NetworksGenes, SyntheticEscherichia coliGene Expression Regulation, BacterialModels, GeneticMutationSynthetic Biology

Identifiers

PMID41022797
PMCPMC12479964

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.