Development of microbial synthetic biology chassis
A chassis provides the cellular environment for implementation of engineered or new-to-nature biological systems in synthetic biology. Depending on the stage of development of the chassis, it is increasingly streamlined and optimized to test and operate specified novel biological systems under defined conditions. Important basic requirements for a synthetic biology chassis are profound knowledge of chassis biology, sufficient genome stability, a modeling framework that allows predicting interactions of implemented biological systems with the chassis’ biochemical network, (4) an efficient engineering framework for genetic and metabolic interventions.
We apply our fundamental knowledge of the organizational and functional principles of bacterial cells to develop bacterial synthetic biology chassis. This includes functional tailoring and modularization of bacterial genomes and design of regulatory circuits to control genetic programs. Our work on chassis development is embedded in an interdisciplinary network of academic and industrial collaboration partners. The projects range from the development of basic and novel genetic tools for new chassis, through chassis refactoring, to the implementation of new biological functions. High-throughput approaches, lab automation and omics methods are key to efficient chassis development and characterization.
Genetic tools
We develop tool boxes and methods for genome editing and engineering, genome re-organization, and control of gene expression and biological functions.
Research aims:
- Frameworks for high efficiency, high specificity, and scalable genome editing and implementation of new biological functions
- Highly effective tools for tunable regulation of gene expression and gene product functions
- High-throughput approaches to fine-tune expression of combinations of multiple genes (e.g. of metabolic genes)
Genome refactoring and implementation of new biological functions
Genome modularization that physically groups genes according to their functions in the biology of a microbial cell facilitates or enables modification of functional modules and testing of new biological designs. We employ this strategy in development of chassis with multipartite genomes and devise enabling genetic tools.
Research aims:
- Leveraging the potential of secondary replicons in synthetic biology for modularization of genomes, and as platforms for regulatory or metabolic studies
- Genome modularization to enable testing of new biological designs
- Genome editing and engineering for rewiring metabolic or regulatory functions and implementing new functions for production of biochemicals (with CO2 as carbon source).