CAREER: Rapid continuous molecular evolution to create and probe protein-protein interactions

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Engineered biological tools are emerging as critical solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing society. However, challenges with designing biological components to perform desired functions remains a primary hurdle to realizing the full potential of engineered biological systems. Laboratory molecular evolution - the iterative process of changing the structure and function of a molecule over time - provides both a lens with which to probe biology and is an increasingly important laboratory tool for creating functional molecules. This project will study how biological molecules evolve to interact with one another by developing and applying new rapid laboratory evolution systems. This project will provide fundamental knowledge about how biomolecules evolve to have new functions, with a focus on activities of relevance to the broader biological community. Additionally, the technologies created for this project will lead to new approaches for harnessing molecular evolution in the laboratory as a design tool. The technologies and fundamental insights gleaned from this project will lead to new approaches to solve biological engineering challenges. This project will provide educational opportunities for students and adults in the Chicago area, with a focus on using the topic of engineering biology to inspire STEM participation.As synthetic biology continues to grow in prevalence in biotechnological, agricultural, and industrial arenas, the need for methods to create and understand the biological components of these technologies is also increasing. This project will impact these needs in several ways: 1) Studying the evolution of molecular interactions will lead to general, fundamental insights about how to better engineer proteins. 2) Developing and leveraging new molecular evolution technologies will lead to new opportunities to use these tools for applied scientific problems, both for academic and commercial purposes. 3) The evolved protein products from the fundamental studies in this work will serve as useful tools to understand protein structure/function relationships. 4) The research will provide a fertile platform for endowing undergraduates and graduate students with the skillsets needed to become the next generation of leaders in synthetic biology. 5) The project will involve work in the local Southside of Chicago to explain the fundamental concepts, goals, and potential of synthetic biology and motivate local youth to enter STEM fields. 6) The project will involve work with adult outreach in Chicago to explain the project to the local community and increase awareness about how these research efforts will impact society in the coming years.