Shaping bacterial population behavior through computer interfaced control of individual cells Chait, Remy P ; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0876-3187 Ruess, Jakob ; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1615-3282 Bergmiller, Tobias ; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5396-4346 Tkacik, Gasper ; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6699-1455 Guet, Calin C ; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6220-2052 ddc:576 ddc:579 Bacteria in groups vary individually, and interact with other bacteria and the environment to produce population-level patterns of gene expression. Investigating such behavior in detail requires measuring and controlling populations at the single-cell level alongside precisely specified interactions and environmental characteristics. Here we present an automated, programmable platform that combines image-based gene expression and growth measurements with on-line optogenetic expression control for hundreds of individual Escherichia coli cells over days, in a dynamically adjustable environment. This integrated platform broadly enables experiments that bridge individual and population behaviors. We demonstrate: (i) population structuring by independent closed-loop control of gene expression in many individual cells, (ii) cell-cell variation control during antibiotic perturbation, (iii) hybrid bio-digital circuits in single cells, and freely specifiable digital communication between individual bacteria. These examples showcase the potential for real-time integration of theoretical models with measurement and control of many individual cells to investigate and engineer microbial population behavior. Nature Publishing Group 2017 info:eu-repo/semantics/article doc-type:article article http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_2df8fbb1 https://research-explorer.ista.ac.at/record/613 https://research-explorer.ista.ac.at/download/613/5190 Chait RP, Ruess J, Bergmiller T, Tkačik G, Guet CC. Shaping bacterial population behavior through computer interfaced control of individual cells. <i>Nature Communications</i>. 2017;8(1). doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-01683-1">10.1038/s41467-017-01683-1</a> eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1038/s41467-017-01683-1 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/issn/2041-1723 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/000415323000008 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess