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{Deshpande:2017:10.1049/enb.2017.0017,
author = {Deshpande, A and Ouldridge, TE},
doi = {10.1049/enb.2017.0017},
journal = {Engineering Biology},
pages = {86--99},
title = {High rates of fuel consumption are not required by insulating motifs to  suppress retroactivity in biochemical circuits},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1049/enb.2017.0017},
volume = {1},
year = {2017}
}
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RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Retroactivity arises when the coupling of a molecular network $\mathcal{U}$to a downstream network $\mathcal{D}$ results in signal propagation back from$\mathcal{D}$ to $\mathcal{U}$. The phenomenon represents a breakdown inmodularity of biochemical circuits and hampers the rational design of complexfunctional networks. Considering simple models of signal-transductionarchitectures, we demonstrate the strong dependence of retroactivity on theproperties of the upstream system, and explore the cost and efficacy offuel-consuming insulating motifs that can mitigate retroactive effects. We findthat simple insulating motifs can suppress retroactivity at a low fuel cost bycoupling only weakly to the upstream system $\mathcal{U}$. However, this designapproach reduces the signalling network's robustness to perturbations from leakreactions, and potentially compromises its ability to respond torapidly-varying signals.
AU  - Deshpande,A
AU  - Ouldridge,TE
DO  - 10.1049/enb.2017.0017
EP  - 99
PY  - 2017///
SN  - 2398-6182
SP  - 86
TI  - High rates of fuel consumption are not required by insulating motifs to  suppress retroactivity in biochemical circuits
T2  - Engineering Biology
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1049/enb.2017.0017
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/54446
VL  - 1
ER  -
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