VCU/Courses/Synthetic Biology Fundamentals

Course Overview

This seminar course aims to provide an introduction to the field of synthetic biology, a survey of current synthetic biology research and a conceptual foundation for synthetic biological system design and construction.

Synthetic biology is emerging as a new engineering discipline, applying engineering principles such as the standardization of modular components, the hierarchical abstraction of complex systems, and the characterization of both components and systems to biology, allowing the decoupling of construction from design. Novel biological systems may be engineered to solve industrial, medical and environmental engineering problems such as the bioremediation of toxic waste, the microbial production of the anti-malarial drug artemisinin, and the biosynthesis of hydrogen or butanol as an alternative fuel source.

Course designer: George McArthur
Faculty administrator: Dr. Stephen Fong
Meeting times: TBA
Questions? Contact George McArthur

Background

• ETC Group's Introduction to Synthetic Biology manuscript
• Drew Endy defining synthetic biology (video)
• Scientific American's Engineering Life: Building a FAB for Biology

News

• Under construction!