Kushwaha, M. & Salis, H. Nat. Commun. 6, 7832 (2015).

Complex genetic circuits and pathways are engineered in a particular host and cannot usually be transferred to a different organism without laborious optimization. Kushwaha and Salis sought to simplify biological engineering and expand its reach by developing regulatory genetic parts that function independently of their host. Their Universal Bacterial Expression Resource (UBER; not related to the car service) achieves T7 polymerase autoactivation and self-limitation by using positive and negative feedback loops, respectively, and does not rely on host-specific promoters. The researchers showed that they could easily transfer a functional multienzyme pathway between Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas putida and Escherichia coli.