Engineering Intelligent Chassis Cells

这项研究的目标是设计具有先进安全功能的智能生物系统。从工程学的角度来看，智能生物系统有三个基本原则：（i）决策的能力，（ii）与决策相关联的记忆系统，以及（iii）与其他离散生命单元通信的手段。工程智能生物细胞将使活体治疗的发展，先进的生物制造能力，并有助于更深入地了解生命系统中的复杂功能。此外，这些新兴技术将使下一代生物安保措施成为可能，这些措施将防止可能对人类生命或财产造成伤害的有机体的意外释放，并防止盗窃宝贵的生物技术。除此之外，这项研究还将有助于蛋白质工程、基因工程和相关技术领域的劳动力发展。这项研究的成功完成将导致几个新的底盘细胞充满：（i）工程规划结构的决策，（ii）互补的存储器结构，以控制专业化的状态，和（iii）生物合成和接收器网络能够编程单向和双向通信。由此产生的底盘细胞将实现分布式计算，网络功能，扩展的生物计算能力和可编程分化。此外，上述技术将能够开发各种新型生物密码工具。总的来说，这个新的生物安保平台将使科学家和工程师能够超越简单的操作技术安全措施，采用专门为保护生物资产而设计的更强大的信息技术内在安全方法。为了实现这些目标，需要设计和构建新的基因控制，形成工程化的变构转录因子系统（即，转录编程），一种在遗传水平上编程相关和永久性变化的方法，这种变化可以在给定底盘细胞的前几代中持续存在，以及超越标准群体感应的通用通信过程的发展。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The goal of this research is to engineer intelligent biological systems, with advanced security features. From an engineering perspective, an intelligent biological system has three fundamental tenets: (i) the ability to make decisions, (ii) a memory system that is coupled to decision making, and (iii) a means to communicate with other discrete living units. Engineered intelligent biological cells will enable the development of living therapeutics, advanced biomanufacturing capabilities, and contribute to a deeper understanding of complex functions in living systems. In addition, this collection of emerging technologies will enable next-generation biosecurity measures that will prevent the unwanted release of organisms that can cause harm to human life or property, and prevent the theft of valuable biotechnologies. In addition to the above, this research will contribute to workforce development in the areas of protein engineering, genetic engineering, and related technological fields. The successful completion of this research will result in several new chassis cells imbued with: (i) engineered programming structures for decision making, (ii) complementary memory structures to control states of specialization, and (iii) biosynthesis and receiver networks capable of programmable unidirectional and bidirectional communication. The resulting chassis cells will enable distributed computation, networked functions, expanded biological computing capabilities, and programmable differentiation. Moreover, the aforementioned technologies will enable the development of a broad range of novel bio-cryptography tools. Collectively this new biosecurity platform will enable scientists and engineers to progress beyond simple operational technology security measures, to a more robust informational technology intrinsic-security approach specifically designed for protecting biotic assets. To achieve these objectives will require the design and construction of novel gene controls forming a system of engineered allosteric transcription factors (i.e., transcriptional programming), a means to program correlated and permanent changes at the genetic level that can persist in forward generations of a given chassis cell, and the development of universal communication processes beyond standard quorum sensing.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.