A synthetic biology toolbox for electronic control of gene expression

20世纪的特点是以数字电子为基础的各种技术的发展。生物系统工程学在21世纪也具有类似革命性的潜力。然而，在实现这一梦想之前，复杂生物系统的精确、可编程控制需要变得更简单，与其他工程技术的接口也需要变得更强大。在这个项目中，学生将开发一个模块化系统，用于连接电子信号和工程细胞。提出的机制利用了电极上氧化还原分子的电化学氧化和还原，以及随后在这些电极附近对氧化还原敏感的转录因子的激活。电遗传模块将允许通过智能手机或个人计算机对生物系统进行精确的时空控制，应用于生物生产、生物材料、生物传感器、诊断等领域。

The 20th Century was characterized by the growth of a myriad of technologies based on digital electronics. Engineering of biological systems has the potential to be similarly revolutionary in the 21st Century. Before this dream can be realized, however, precise, programmable control of complex biological systems needs to become simpler, and the interface with other engineered technologies needs to be made more robust. In this project, the student will develop a modular system for interfacing electronic signals with engineered cells. The proposed mechanism utilizes electrochemical oxidation and reduction of redox molecules at electrodes, and the subsequent activation of redox-sensitive transcription factors in the vicinity of those electrodes. The electrogenetic module will allow implementation of precise spatio-temporal control of biological systems from a smartphone or personal computer, with applications in bioproduction, biomaterials, biosensors, diagnostics and more.