Collaborative Research: Engineering Genetically Augmented Polymers (GAPS)

合成生物学是一个新兴领域，涉及设计或重新设计和制造新的生物启发部件，模块，设备和系统。这有两个主要输出。首先，它测试了对生命如何运作的科学理解，以及如何在最基本的层面上重新设计生命。其次，它承诺将生物系统置于一个更加模块化和合理的基础上，以供后续的工程努力使用。需要开发基础技术，使合成生物学模块化、可扩展和可编程。该项目旨在通过基因增强聚合物（GAPS）扩展生物空间来解决这一挑战，这将使可编程网络和新化学功能的设计和制造成为可能。核碱基氨基酸（NAAs）将被合成并结合到天然聚合物、蛋白质（pGAPS）和化学聚合物、聚氯乙烯核碱基（cGAPS）中。从本质上讲，通过赋予蛋白质和细胞彼此“对话”的能力，使用与DNA和RNA相同的代码，该提案试图为生物医学工程创造一种可编程的细胞。这项工作将催化化学和生物系统工程的新范式。通过将生物学的复杂性和多样性与化学的可预测性和高可扩展性相结合，GAPS将开拓合成生物学的新方向。将遗传信息添加到蛋白质和细胞中，通常会使生物学更加模块化、可扩展和可编程。这应该反过来使生物系统的合理设计和重新设计具有吸引力的应用，如控制相互作用体的连接，合理地调节和编程细胞功能。例如，应该有可能在蛋白质的基础上重新连接信号通路，并以一种允许精确地、遗传编码地放置单个细胞的方式来设计组织。更广泛的影响：除了为合成生物学应用创造一个全新的非细胞平台外，一个强大的英美团队的形成将对这两个国家在合成生物学领域的全球领导地位产生相当大的影响。这个项目的目标（可编程细胞，复制塑料）将提供机会向公众展示合成生物学是一个产生转化技术的领域，可以影响他们自己的生活。为了实现沙坑的目标，国际研究团队将建立并维护一个有价值的网络，以提供有竞争力的、跨学科的、全球参与的研究。这个网络将直接接触到合成生物学的学生，并让他们参与进来（通过iGEM、新生研究计划和“合成生物学的当前协议”），并将开始培养新一代的工程师，他们可以在学科、实验室和大陆之间自如地工作。此外，该网络将在吸引公众兴趣和教育政策制定者关于合成生物学的威胁和好处方面发挥重要作用，全面提高人们对合成生物学的伦理、法律和社会影响的认识。

Synthetic biology is an emerging field that involves the design or re-design and manufacture of new biologically-inspired parts, modules, devices and systems. This has two major outputs. First, it tests scientific understanding of how life works and how it can be re-engineered at the most fundamental level. Second, it promises to put biological systems on a more modular and rational footing for subsequent engineering efforts. Foundational technologies need to be developed to make synthetic biology modular, scalable, and programmable. This project seeks to address this challenge by expanding biological space with Genetically Augmented PolymerS (GAPS) that will enable the design and manufacture of programmable networks and novel chemical function. Nucleobase amino acids (NAAs) will be synthesized and incorporated into natural polymers, proteins (pGAPS), and chemical polymers, polyvinyl nucleobases (cGAPS). In essence, by giving proteins and cells the ability to 'talk' with one another using the same code that DNA and RNA uses this proposal seeks to create a programmable ur-cell for biomedical engineering. This work will catalyze a new paradigm for engineering both chemical and biological systems. By melding the complexity and diversity of Biology with the predictability and high scalability of Chemistry, GAPS will pioneer new directions in synthetic biology. The addition of genetic information to proteins and cells will in general make biology more modular, scalable, and programmable. This should in turn enable the rational design and re-design of biological systems for compelling applications, such as controlling the wiring of interactomes and rationally modulating and programming cell function. For example, it should be possible to re-wire signaling pathways on a protein-by-protein basis, and to engineer tissues in a way that allows the precise, genetically-encoded placement of individual cells. Broader impact: In addition to creating a wholly new ur-cell platform for synthetic biology applications, the formation of a strong a UK-US team will have a considerable impact on the global leadership by these two countries in synthetic biology. The readily grasped goals of this project (programmable cells, replicating plastic) will provide opportunities for showing the public that synthetic biology is a field that yields translational technologies that can impact their own lives. Following up on the goals of the Sandpit, the international research team will establish and maintain a valuable network that provides for competitive, interdisciplinary, and globally-engaged research. This network will directly reach out to and involve students in synthetic biology (via iGEM, the Freshman Research Initiative, and "Current Protocols in Synthetic Biology"), and will begin to train a new generation of engineers who are comfortable operating between disciplines, labs, and continents. Moreover, the network will be of great use in engaging public interest and educating policy makers about the threats and benefits of synthetic biology, overall raising awareness of the ethical, legal and social impacts of synthetic biology.