The secret life of DNA

DNA is an incredibly stable biomolecule that stores genetic information in every living cell. In the last decade, a new function of DNA has emerged as an extracellular building material used to connect bacteria in multicellular communities called “biofilms”, which cause deadly infections due to high antibiotic tolerance. I propose that DNA has several other important functions: Capture and storage of extracellular molecules. In this project, I will determine the role of DNA in the extracellular environment of multicellular microbial biofilms. Of particular interest is its role in i) protection against antimicrobials, ii) modulation of bacterial behavior, and iii) promoting metabolic activity. Understanding DNA’s multitude of functions in the extracellular environment will provide new insights into the cooperative behavior that leads to high resilience of multicellular bacterial communities, and perhaps give inspiration to new ways to harness the properties of DNA.