Synthetic biology aims to build increasingly complex biological systems and engineer organisms to perform novel functions. A long-envisioned goal of rationally engineering microorganisms has undergone dramatic changes throughout the past decade with the aid of genomics revolution and rise of systems biology and the burgeoning field of synthetic biology. We are broadly interested in developing synthetic biological devices with applications in biosensing, imaging, and potentially in diagnostics and therapeutics.
As a specific example, we have developed rationally designed RNA computing systems as genetically encodable sensors and controllers, which we call ‘ribocomputing systems’ (Green*, Kim* et al, Nature; Kim et al, Biochemistry). This work builds on a recent breakthrough in nucleic-acid-based gene expression regulator, ‘toehold switch’, that provides a library of programmable, orthogonal, and high-performance parts for synthetic biology (Green et al, Cell).
We are interested in developing synthetic biomolecular systems with precisely prescribed dynamical behavior. By interfacing with biological molecular systems through sensing a biological signal (e.g., mRNA, protein, small molecules) and producing a readout observable by a human user or actuating a biological response, these synthetic molecular devices can provide powerful experimental tools and technological platforms.
Microbial communities are ubiquitous and play a crucial role in agriculture, biotechnology, and human health. Engineering probiotics with programmable interactions with commensal and pathogenic bacteria can provide opportunities for microbiome engineering in situ. Synthetic biological circuits, such as combinatorial logic and memory circuits, can be layered upon basic designs to improve specificity and controllability.
Molecular diagnostic technologies provide tools for accurate detection and quantitation of biomolecules. For instance, the gene expression profiles of cancer tissues form the basis of prognostic tests for liver cancer (Kim et al., Cancer Science; Kwon*, Kim* et al., Clinical Cancer Research). We aim to expand these capabilities by engineering nucleic acids for accurate, rapid, and multiplexed detection systems.
