Abstract
A living hydrogel has been developed with metabolically and optogenetically engineered E. coli encapsulated within an agarose-based hydrogel matrix to produce and release deoxyviolacein in response to blue light irradiation. Localized, tunable and prolonged drug release have been demonstrated.



![Author ORCID: We display the ORCID iD icon alongside authors names on our website to acknowledge that the ORCiD has been authenticated when entered by the user. To view the users ORCiD record click the icon. [opens in a new tab]](https://www.cambridge.org/engage/assets/public/coe/logo/orcid.png)