Logic-directed evolution of new biosensor molecules in vivo

快速准确地检测小分子的能力在安全和防御环境中得到了广泛的应用，例如检测爆炸物、生物制剂或病原体。该项目将为新型传感器的开发开发一个新的平台。传感器需要对非常低浓度的分子进行高度特异性的检测。为此目的使用生物学方法是有吸引力的，因为许多生物系统正是为此目的而进化的。虽然生物多样性提供了丰富的多样性来源，但它最终仅限于可以分离和表征的东西。发展新的生物功能和多样性的体外方法已被证明是有用的，但最终在可采样的生物多样性范围内受到限制。该项目将开发一个新的生物特异性在体内进化的原型，带有反馈的生物“逻辑”电路，将使生物系统的终点进化到新的特异性。特异性改变的新蛋白的分离对于创造新一代生物传感器至关重要。

The ability to rapidly and accurately detect small molecules has widespread use within security and defence contexts such as detection of explosives, biological agents or pathogens. This project will develop a new platform for the development of novel sensors. Sensors require highly specific detection of molecules in very low concentrations. The use of biological approaches for this purpose is attractive since many biological systems have evolved for precisely this purpose. While biological diversity offers a rich source of variety, it is ultimately limited to what can be isolated and characterised. In vitro methods for evolving new biological functionality and diversity have proven useful but are ultimately limited in the range of biological diversity that can be sampled. This project will develop a prototype for the evolution of new biological specificity in vivo, with feedback bio-'logic' circuitry that will enable end-point evolution of biological systems to new specificities. The isolation of new proteins with altered specificity will be essential for the creation of a new generation of biosensors.