Abstract: The invention is directed to designing the production of microbial communities, methods of producing the microbial communities, and microbial communities produced thereby. The design of the microbial communities can include designing media compositions and/or inoculum ratios to control the makeup of consortia of microbes and thereby result in a defined microbial community composition. The designed media and/or inoculum ratios can be used to generate a microbial community having a defined composition of different microbes.

Abstract: Cell-based DNA sensors, compositions comprising the cell-based DNA sensors, and methods of detecting DNA and cells. The cell-based DNA sensors include competent cells that include genetic circuits. Each genetic circuit includes homology arms separated by an interstitial region that comprises at least one element of a reporter switch and/or a kill switch. The compositions include one or more cell-based DNA sensors. The cell-based DNA sensors can be used to detect DNA and cells by the genetic circuits undergoing homologous recombination with target regions of target DNA to activate or deactivate the reporter switch and/or kill switch.