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{Crone:2020:10.1038/s41467-020-18130-3,
author = {Crone, M and Priestman, M and Ciechonska, M and Jensen, K and Sharp, D and Anand, A and Randell, P and Storch, M and Freemont, P},
doi = {10.1038/s41467-020-18130-3},
journal = {Nature Communications},
pages = {1--11},
title = {A role for Biofoundries in rapid development and validation of automated SARS-CoV-2 clinical diagnostics},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18130-3},
volume = {11},
year = {2020}
}
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RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB  - The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has shown how a rapid rise in demand for patient and community sample testing can quickly overwhelm testing capability globally. With most diagnostic infrastructure dependent on specialized instruments, their exclusive reagent supplies quickly become bottlenecks, creating an urgent need for approaches to boost testing capacity. We address this challenge by refocusing the London Biofoundry onto the development of alternative testing pipelines. Here, we present a reagent-agnostic automated SARS-CoV-2 testing platform that can be quickly deployed and scaled. Using an in-house-generated, open-source, MS2-virus-like particle (VLP) SARS-CoV-2 standard, we validate RNA extraction and RT-qPCR workflows as well as two detection assays based on CRISPR-Cas13a and RT-loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP). In collaboration with an NHS diagnostic testing lab, we report the performance of the overall workflow and detection of SARS-CoV-2 in patient samples using RT-qPCR, CRISPR-Cas13a, and RT-LAMP. The validated RNA extraction and RT-qPCR platform has been installed in NHS diagnostic labs, increasing testing capacity by 1000 samples per day.
AU  - Crone,M
AU  - Priestman,M
AU  - Ciechonska,M
AU  - Jensen,K
AU  - Sharp,D
AU  - Anand,A
AU  - Randell,P
AU  - Storch,M
AU  - Freemont,P
DO  - 10.1038/s41467-020-18130-3
EP  - 11
PY  - 2020///
SN  - 2041-1723
SP  - 1
TI  - A role for Biofoundries in rapid development and validation of automated SARS-CoV-2 clinical diagnostics
T2  - Nature Communications
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18130-3
UR  - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-18130-3
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/81660
VL  - 11
ER  -
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