Synthetic Biology: Development and Application Cellular Computation Devices

合成生物学致力于为生物系统的预测工程设计和集成新的设备、部件和工具，该领域为生物技术和生物医学应用的菌株开发提供了巨大的希望。合成基因电路还可以用来执行各种逻辑功能，以允许细胞计算，包括触发开关、布尔逻辑门、边缘检测、模拟到数字信号转换、记忆和简单的加法和减法。本研究项目的目的是利用这些指导原则开发工具和设备(生物传感器和蜂窝计算机)，以优化生物技术生产过程，应用于生物燃料、生物化学、酶和生物制药。该研究项目将设计具有检测和响应代谢和环境信号的计算能力的细胞，并开发用于系统监测和干预的工具。这种能力在低水平信号检测、精确阈值检测和增强的数字到模拟信号转换方面有许多应用，用于优化生物技术过程。该项目将得到内部专业知识和技术的支持，包括使用核糖开关、SpeedyGenes和适体阵列技术。博士生将接受合成生物学、分析生物技术和计算建模的广泛方面的培训；这些技能与未来在学术界和/或生物技术相关行业的职业生涯高度相关。此外，他们还将有机会与行业合作进行互动，出席会议，并扩大他们的学术和行业网络/联系人。

Synthetic biology seeks to design and integrate novel devices, parts and tools for the predictive engineering of biological systems, and the field offers great hope for the rationalization of strain development for biotechnological and biomedical applications. Synthetic gene circuits can also be used to perform various logic functions to permit cellular computation, including toggle switches, Boolean logic gates, edge detection, analogue to digital signal conversion, memory, and simple addition and subtraction.The aim of this research project is to use these guiding principles to develop tools and devices (biosensors and cellular computers) for the optimization of biotechnological production process for a range of applications including biofuels, (bio)chemicals, enzymes, and biopharmaceuticals.This research project will engineer cells with computational capacity to sense and respond to metabolic and environmental signals and to develop tools for both system monitoring and intervention. This capacity has a number of applications for low-level signal detection, precise threshold detection, and enhanced digital to analogue signal conversion, for the optimization of biotechnological processes. This project will be supported by in-house expertise and technologies including use of riboswitches, SpeedyGenes, and aptamer array technology. The PhD student will be trained in broad aspects of synthetic biology, analytical biotechnology and computational modelling; skills that are highly relevant for future careers in academia and/or biotechnology related industries. They will additionally have the opportunity to interact with industrial collaborations, attend meetings/conferences, and to broaden their academic and industry networks/contacts.