Cell-free SynBio Systems

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

• Explain at an advanced level the molecular, genetic, biochemical and engineering principles that govern the design and function of synthetic biological systems.
• Understand and critically evaluate modern genome editing and engineering technologies, and automated biology platforms.
• Improve his/her understanding of life and expand his/her knowledge on applications of cell fee synthetic system in environmental monitoring and biomedical engineering
• Understand application advances of unnatural amino acids in protein modifications, biophysical probes, enzyme engineering, biomaterials and biopharmaceutical protein production
• Informed about applications of cell-free biosensors in environmental monitoring and health diagnosis
• Understand the tolerance ability of a cell-free system compared to that of a cell system.

Skills

• Design and implement strategies for constructing synthetic genetic circuits, metabolic networks, and engineered biological systems.
• Apply experimental techniques in molecular biology, genome engineering, and automated high-throughput platforms for the development of new biotechnological applications
• Design and evaluate applications of synthetic biology in biomedicine, industrial biotechnology, agriculture, and the environment.
• Apply the Design-Build-Test-Learn (DBTL) framework to the development and optimization of synthetic biological systems.
• Ability to design metabolic pathways towards the production of desired products.
• Overcome or have the potential to address current challenges in environmental and biomedical sciences
• Ability to design and synthesize unnatural proteins, peptides, complex proteins, and biosensors.

Competencies

• Design and independently conduct research projects in synthetic biology, applying modern experimental methodologies.
• Critically evaluate scientific literature and integrate new research findings into the design of biological systems.
• Integrate principles of responsible innovation, bioethics, biosafety, and biosecurity into research and the development of biotechnological applications.
• Collaborate effectively within interdisciplinary teams combining biology, engineering, computer science, and chemistry.

Module Syllabus

• An introduction to Cell Free Synthetic Biology
• in vitro transcription–translation using cell lysates
• Synthetic organelles and their application in medicine
• Cell-Free Metabolic Engineering for pharmaceutical precursors production
• Cell-Free Metabolic Engineering for biofuels production
• Journal club presentations on synthetic cell free system

Suggested Bibliography

• Cell free Synthetic biology SPRINGER BRIEFS IN APPLIED SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY Yuan Lu
• Cell-free synthetic biology: Engineering in an open world. Synth Syst Biotechnol. 2017 Mar 3;2(1):23-27. doi: 10.1016/j.synbio.2017.02.003. PMID: 29062958; PMCID: PMC5625795.
• The New Age of Cell-Free Biology. Noireaux V, Liu AP. Annu Rev Biomed doi: 10.1146/annurev-bioeng-092019-111110. PMID: 32151150.