SIGSYNCELL: Engineering biological signaling pathways using synthetic cells

SIGSYNCELL：使用合成细胞工程生物信号通路

• 批准号: EP/Y032675/1
• 负责人: Michael Booth
• 金额: $ 33.22万
• 依托单位: University College London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2024 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FY032675%2F1
• 关键词: SIGSYNCELL; Engineering; biological; signaling; pathways

Facing the challenges of the XXIst century related to climate, energy and health requires the development of new biotechnologies. Synthetic approaches of biology represent an opportunity for applications where living cells are inefficient, inadapted or undesired. Yet, 'Only cells can make cells' remains to date an unrefutable fundamental reality and constructing de novo living systems represents the new frontier of biotechnology. The IT industry developed over the years highly complex and integrated microsystems, based on building blocks such as the transistor and fundamental principles of electrodynamics and quantum physics. The analogon for biology must still be unraveled to develop the biotechnologies of the next century. Our aim is to produce life-like systems of synthetic cells in interaction with their environment. We will train Doctoral Candidates to develop a toolbox of experimental building blocks, based upon soft microcompartments, molecular transporters, DNA nanotechnologies, optical technologies and microtechnologies, for the construction and integration of large population of interacting synthetic cells. Because they are built from scratch with a high-level of functional characterization and control, these cells will allow to unravel fundamental principle in life complexity and, at the same time, become integrable building blocks - analogon of the transistors of the IT industry - of a new type of biotechnology. They will pave the way for applications of synthetic cells addressing the pressing needs of the XXIst century, in energy harvesting, biomass and raw matter transformation, bio-remediation or therapeutics. Our network based upon interdisciplinarity in research and innovation, will train the next generation of independent and responsible scientists to address pressing global challenges through the build up of fundamental knowledge and sustainable innovations.

面对21世纪与气候、能源和健康有关的挑战，需要开发新的生物技术。生物学的合成方法为活细胞低效、不适应或不受欢迎的应用提供了机会。然而，到目前为止，只有细胞才能使细胞残骸成为无可辩驳的基本现实，构建从头开始的生命系统代表着生物技术的新前沿。多年来，IT行业发展了高度复杂和集成的微系统，其基础是晶体管以及电动力学和量子物理的基本原理。为了发展下个世纪的生物技术，生物学的类比仍然必须被解开。我们的目标是制造出与环境相互作用的合成细胞的仿生系统。我们将培养博士生，开发基于软微室、分子传输器、DNA纳米技术、光学技术和微技术的实验构建块工具箱，用于构建和集成大量相互作用的合成细胞。由于它们是从零开始建造的，具有高水平的功能表征和控制，这些细胞将允许解开生命复杂性的基本原理，同时成为一种新型生物技术的可集成构建块--类似于IT行业的晶体管。它们将为满足21世纪迫切需求的合成细胞在能源采集、生物质和原材料转化、生物修复或治疗方面的应用铺平道路。我们的网络建立在研究和创新的跨学科基础上，将培养下一代独立和负责任的科学家，通过积累基础知识和可持续创新来应对紧迫的全球挑战。