Research

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Synthetic Biology underpins advances in the bioeconomy

Biological systems - including the simplest cells - exhibit a broad range of functions to thrive in their environment. Research in the Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology is focused on the possibility of engineering the underlying biochemical processes to solve many of the challenges facing society, from healthcare to sustainable energy. In particular, we model, analyse, design and build biological and biochemical systems in living cells and/or in cell extracts, both exploring and enhancing the engineering potential of biology. 

As part of our research we develop novel methods to accelerate the celebrated Design-Build-Test-Learn synthetic biology cycle. As such research in the Centre for Synthetic Biology highly multi- and interdisciplinary covering computational modelling and machine learning approaches; automated platform development and genetic circuit engineering ; multi-cellular and multi-organismal interactions, including gene drive and genome engineering; metabolic engineering; in vitro/cell-free synthetic biology; engineered phages and directed evolution; and biomimetics, biomaterials and biological engineering.

Publications

Citation

BibTex format

@article{Robinson:2014:10.1021/ac502732s,
author = {Robinson, T and Valluri, P and Kennedy, G and Sardini, A and Dunsby, C and Neil, MAA and Baldwin, GS and French, PMW and de, Mello AJ},
doi = {10.1021/ac502732s},
journal = {Analytical Chemistry},
pages = {10732--10740},
title = {Analysis of DNA Binding and Nucleotide Flipping Kinetics Using Two-Color Two-Photon Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ac502732s},
volume = {86},
year = {2014}
}
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RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Uracil DNA glycosylase plays a key role in DNA maintenance via base excision repair. Its role is to bind to DNA, locate unwanted uracil, and remove it using a base flipping mechanism. To date, kinetic analysis of this complex process has been achieved using stopped-flow analysis but, due to limitations in instrumental dead-times, discrimination of the “binding” and “base flipping” steps is compromised. Herein we present a novel approach for analyzing base flipping using a microfluidic mixer and two-color two-photon (2c2p) fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). We demonstrate that 2c2p FLIM can simultaneously monitor binding and base flipping kinetics within the continuous flow microfluidic mixer, with results showing good agreement with computational fluid dynamics simulations.
AU  - Robinson,T
AU  - Valluri,P
AU  - Kennedy,G
AU  - Sardini,A
AU  - Dunsby,C
AU  - Neil,MAA
AU  - Baldwin,GS
AU  - French,PMW
AU  - de,Mello AJ
DO  - 10.1021/ac502732s
EP  - 10740
PY  - 2014///
SN  - 0003-2700
SP  - 10732
TI  - Analysis of DNA Binding and Nucleotide Flipping Kinetics Using Two-Color Two-Photon Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy
T2  - Analytical Chemistry
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ac502732s
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/25097
VL  - 86
ER  -
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