Collins Lab

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In the press USA Today article on "Tools help seniors be independent" Discovery Channel Canada video on "Insoles to keep you upright" IEEE Spectrum Editor's Blog on "Feel the Noise" Op-Ed in the New York Times Scientific American article on "In the Business of Synthetic Life" IEEE Spectrum article on "Good Vibrations" Trends in Biotechnology article on "Engineering Regulatory RNAs" Trends in Biotechnology article on "Rewiring the Cell" Nature Biotechnology News & Views article on "Custom Design of Metabolism" Trends in Biotechnology article on "Synthetic Biology Evolves" First Annual Conference on Synthetic Biology Scientific American article on "Synthetic Life" Science article on "Microbes Made to Order" Nature News & Views article on "Medical Technology: Balancing the Unbalanced"

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Technical

Our lab is focused on developing and using nonlinear dynamics approaches to study, mimic and improve the function of biological systems. We are currently working in three areas: Systems Biology: We are developing and implementing computational-experimental methods to reverse engineer and analyze regulatory networks in microbes and higher organisms. Synthetic Biology: We are modeling and building synthetic gene networks for a variety of biotechnology and biocomputing applications. We are also using engineered gene networks to study general principles underlying gene regulation. Noise-Enhanced Sensorimotor Function: We are developing noise-based devices, such as vibrating insoles, to improve balance control in older adults and patients with diabetic neuropathy, stroke, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis, respectively. Our lab is part of the Center for BioDynamics, the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Bioinformatics Program, the Center for Advanced Biotechnology, the Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry (MCBB) Program at Boston University, and the Frontiers in Integrative Biological Research.