Selectively arresting a subpopulation of biotinylated yeast cells. - (Oct/21/2014 )

Hi everyone,

One of the experiments that my lab is working on right now involves liquid cultures of yeast cells, where a subpopulation is biotinylated.  We are looking for a method to target these biotinylated yeast cells, and selectively arrest/kill them, while leaving the rest of the (non-biotinylated) cells alone, and we are a bit stumped.  Has anyone ever attempted anything like this?  Any ideas or suggestions would be very much appreciated.  

Thanks,

YeastResearcher22

Could you isolate the biotinylated yeast by passing them through a streptaviding column of some sort?

Unfortunately not - it all has to occur in the suspended culture.  

I was thinking I could perhaps use a streptavidin-conjugated small fungicidal peptide, or something like that?

Hmmm, that might work if you can prevent the other cell from taking it up. You could do this by masking the antibiotic somehow - perhaps something that would only be internalized in close proximity to the surface of the cell, or only has a lethal dose above a certain dose which could only be achieved by the biotinylated yeast?.

Yes, something like that was what I was thinking.  Thank you.  

If you or anyone else happen to have any other ideas, please let me know! :)