The Synthetic Biology Department was established to design and
construct novel organisms and biologically inspired systems to help
us solve problems that cannot be solved using natural systems. This
distinctive new approach promises solutions to some of today's most
pressing and difficult problems in environmental protection, human
health and energy production. It also provides an alternative perspective
from which to consider, analyze and ultimately understand our living
world.
Aims
To be the world’s
intellectual leader of the field of synthetic biology
To develop the principles
for designing and building biological systems
To educate a new generation
of biological designers
To solve some important
problems that could not otherwise be solved without synthetic biology
To set the groundwork for
a public dialog about engineered biology
Research foci
• Cheap,
environmentally responsible production of medicine from microbes
1.5-2.7
million people die of malaria every year, and 90% of the victims
are children. Although the plant-derived drug artemisinin has a
near-100% success rate in treating all known strains of malaria,
it’s still too costly in developing countries, where malaria
is growing resistant to affordable treatments. By inserting genes
from three separate organisms into E. coli, synthetic
biologists have created a bacterial strain that can produce the
precursor to artemisinin. It’s the first step toward mass-producing
a cheap and effective solution to malaria in developing countries.
Synthetic biologists hope to use this same technique to mimic a
chemical pathway found in the medicinal Mamala tree of the Philippines
to develop a drug that fights HIV. By combining genes to create
chemical factories within microbes, synthetic biologists can produce
new drugs to fight disease, combat bioterror agents, and produce
existing drugs without depleting our natural resources.
• Conversion of plentiful, renewable resources
into energy Our
planet produces over 100 gigatons of biomass every year, much
of which is in the form of cellulose. Almost all of the earth’s
cellulose is broken down by enzymes in organisms and converted
back into minerals. But that cellulose could become a source
of renewal energy if synthetic biologists could use the molecular
machinery in microorganisms to efficiently capture the energy
stored in cellulose. One strategy is to insert the cellulose-converting
proteins into robust, benign microorganisms such as Bacillus
subtilis. Such approaches could lead to microorganisms that
produce hydrogen or efficiently convert sunlight energy into other
chemical forms. Taking inspiration from biology, synthetic biologists
will eventually understand how to design efficient, robust energy-producing
systems from scratch, then build them.
• Bioremediation:
A natural solution to environmental contamination To take advantage of natural biodegradative pathways in certain
microorganisms, synthetic biologists are studying the metabolism
and genetic control systems of microorganisms that help neutralize
a number of important environmental contaminants. In addition,
they are engineering microorganisms to remediate some of the
most potent environmental contaminants, including heavy metals,
actinides, and nerve agents. Such organisms have enormous potential
for decontaminating hazardous waste spills and treating byproducts
from the nation’s nuclear energy and
disposal sites.
Why do we need synthetic biology?
Energy production
• Production of
hydrogen or ethanol
• Efficient conversion of
waste into energy
• Conversion of sunlight
into hydrogen
New materials
• “Soft” biomaterials for
tissue/organ growth &
drug delivery
• “Hard” biomaterials
for micro/nanofabrication
processes,
microelectronics,
membranes, and
catalytic surfaces
Chemical/biological threat detection and decontamination
• New cells that will
swim to the threat and
decontaminate it
Cheap,
environmentally responsible production of medicine from microbes
Our
planet produces over 100 gigatons of biomass every year, much
of which is in the form of cellulose. Almost all of the earth’s
cellulose is broken down by enzymes in organisms and converted
back into minerals. But that cellulose could become a source
of renewal energy if synthetic biologists could use the molecular
machinery in microorganisms to efficiently capture the energy
stored in cellulose. One strategy is to insert the cellulose-converting
proteins into robust, benign microorganisms such as Bacillus
subtilis. Such approaches could lead to microorganisms that
produce hydrogen or efficiently convert sunlight energy into other
chemical forms. Taking inspiration from biology, synthetic biologists
will eventually understand how to design efficient, robust energy-producing
systems from scratch, then build them. 
To take advantage of natural biodegradative pathways in certain
microorganisms, synthetic biologists are studying the metabolism
and genetic control systems of microorganisms that help neutralize
a number of important environmental contaminants. In addition,
they are engineering microorganisms to remediate some of the
most potent environmental contaminants, including heavy metals,
actinides, and nerve agents. Such organisms have enormous potential
for decontaminating hazardous waste spills and treating byproducts
from the nation’s nuclear energy and
disposal sites.
