ERASynBio: MiniCell - A Model-driven Approach to Minimal Cell Engineering

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This project engages research teams in the US, Spain, Germany and France to develop tools for the design of microorganisms to perform valuable functions including cost-effective synthesis of important chemicals or capabilities for the decontamination of toxic waste. The investigators will develop a predictive mathematical model of a bacterial cell that will guide the design and genetic manipulation that will allow the development of a minimal organism that is optimized to perform specific functions or behaviors. This project will provide interdisciplinary research training for postdoctoral scholars, support a summer course that will provide twenty-five graduate students training in computational systems biology, and includes activities that will disseminate the most advanced computational and experimental bioengineering methods.This project addresses key challenges for synthetic biology, such as the limited capabilities to design, synthesize, and fully understand whole genomes. Bacteria with minimal uncharacterized components, such as Mycoplasma pneumonia, are ideal for this purpose. Data derived from detailed experimental characterization of the organism will be used to create predictive models that will guide the design and development of a streamlined version of the progenitor strain. This collaborative project combines expertise in genomic profiling, whole-cell modeling, and genome engineering to rationally construct an optimized cellular chassis to specification. This project is the US collaborative component of a project funded through the ERASynBIO EU-US transnational funding mechanism.