Design and Evolution of Engineered Biological Systems
Name
JasonKelly.ThesisProposal.pdf
Size
800.12 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
e8fcbe6e10793c59091155c9ad044101
Author(s)
Kelly, Jason
Date Issued
August 11, 2005
Series/Report no.
Thesis Proposals
2
Abstract
To date, engineered biological systems have been constructed via a variety of ad
hoc approaches. The resulting systems should be thought of as pieces of art. Here, I
propose to explore how existing forward engineering approaches might be combined with
evolution to make routine the construction of engineered biological systems. I will
specify a procedure for construction of biological systems via screening of subcomponent libraries and rational re-assembly. I will develop tools to enable this approach including a high-throughput screening system to measure the input/output function of an arbitrary genetic device. I will apply this approach to construct a collection of ring oscillators and bi-stable switches. Furthermore, I anticipate that performance of these devices will decay
over time due to spontaneous errors in replication of the genetic information encoding the systems. As an engineer, I would like to be able to design systems with behavior that is predictable in the face of mutation and selection. I will explore mechanisms for increasing or decreasing the susceptibility of engineered biological systems to loss of function as a result of mutation.
Subjects
Synthetic Biology
Engineered Biological Systems
Evolutionary Stability
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biological Engineering
Persistent DSpace Link
