CHE.496/2008/Schedule/Engineering principles

CHE.496: Biological Systems Design Seminar

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Engineering principles

Synthetic biology - putting engineering into biology link
- Review standardization, abstraction, heirarchy (see Assignment 2 notes)
- Use of standards already in place
  - Standardization
  - Abstraction
  - Modularity
  - Predictability
  - Reliability
  - Uniformity
- Important tools
  - Standardized cloning
  - De novo DNA synthesis
  - Providing chassis
- Use of Devices
  - Oscillators
  - Switches
  - Logic gates
- Problems of joining two modules together

Synthetic biology: new engineering rules for an emerging discipline link
- Reiteration of biological devices
- Assessment of overall system
  - Must consider that all things are happening in the cell
- Types of Modules:
  - Cascades
  - Cell to cell signaling
- Important notes
  - Natural evolution works!
  - Must examine overall population
Brain-storming exercise
- Last time, we touched on the logistical significance of starting a team. We came up with some good ideas on team management, but we didn't touch on the actual project very much. To get the gears rolling a bit, discuss possible pathways to create hydrogen in a cell. What types of organisms should we start looking? What kind of environment will we need to grow the cells in? This isn't meant to be a final plan, so you don't need to do any background research. The goal is just to brainstorm some ideas to 'plant the seeds' for the project.