(49a) Genetic Circuits to Build Biopolymers

We are developing a genetic language to program microbial machines for pharmaceutical and industrial applications. New sensors are built that give bacteria the sense of touch, sight, and smell. Genetic circuits are designed to integrate signals from multiple sensors and to spatially and temporally control gene expression. Finally, the outputs of the circuits control biological processes. Theoretical tools are being developed to understand how to combine parts and predict their collective behavior. This approach is being used to program different functions into bacteria; for example, the construction multi-component silks using genetic circuits to control when and where the biopolymer genes are expressed. Another project involves the development of an E. coli strain that can identify a tumor environment and selectively deliver a therapeutic. These projects push the paradigm of genetic engineering by expanding the depth and complexity of tasks that can be programmed into bacteria.