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{Ouldridge:2017:10.1007/s11047-017-9646-x,
author = {Ouldridge, TE},
doi = {10.1007/s11047-017-9646-x},
journal = {Natural Computing},
pages = {3--29},
title = {The importance of thermodynamics for molecular systems, and the  importance of molecular systems for thermodynamics},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11047-017-9646-x},
volume = {17},
year = {2017}
}
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RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Improved understanding of molecular systems has only emphasised thesophistication of networks within the cell. Simultaneously, the advance ofnucleic acid nanotechnology, a platform within which reactions can beexquisitely controlled, has made the development of artificial architecturesand devices possible. Vital to this progress has been a solid foundation in thethermodynamics of molecular systems. In this pedagogical review andperspective, I will discuss how thermodynamics determines both the overallpotential of molecular networks, and the minute details of design. I will thenargue that, in turn, the need to understand molecular systems is helping todrive the development of theories of thermodynamics at the microscopic scale.
AU  - Ouldridge,TE
DO  - 10.1007/s11047-017-9646-x
EP  - 29
PY  - 2017///
SN  - 1567-7818
SP  - 3
TI  - The importance of thermodynamics for molecular systems, and the  importance of molecular systems for thermodynamics
T2  - Natural Computing
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11047-017-9646-x
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/52627
VL  - 17
ER  -
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