Synthetic Biology

Synthetic biology applies a novel conceptual framework to biology. By introducing engineering concepts, synthetic biology forms the basis for new developments in medicine, pharmaceutical science, plant biology, sustainable development, and material science. Fundamental technologies that are central to synthetic biology include: DNA synthesis, high-throughput genetic manipulation methods, facile access to off-the-shelf standardized biological parts, registries and foundries of parts, and computer-aided genetic design. Advanced tools that enable the integration of basic synthetic units into multi component devices are continuously being developed, and a variety of modern analytical techniques and computational tools are applied in the design and testing of new systems. It is foreseen that synthetic biology will adderess several of the world’s most pressing challenges.

The course will bridge across different areas of contemporary synthetic biology. It will start from metabolic engineering of organisms for the production of high-value compounds and continue to explore topics at the frontier of synthetic biology, such as biosensors, gene circuits, synthetic metabolism, synthetic evolution, minimal organisms, etc. Some examples of topics covered in the course are given below:

1. General concepts and enabling technologies for synthetic biology
2. Plant metabolic engineering
3. Engineering photosynthetic organisms for light-driven synthesis
4. Yeast metabolic engineering for the production of high-value compounds
5. Single molecule fluorescence microscopy for the analysis of synthetic biosystems
6. Lipid membranes as tools for synthetic biology
7. Whole-cell biosensors
8. Engineering and evolution of synthetic metabolic pathways
9. Biosafety-Biosecurity

Beside the selected topics, the course includes a journal club where hot topics in synthetic biology are discussed.

In addition to the lectures, a focal part of the course is the development of  specific case studies by the students. In groups, the students are invited to bring their own synthetic biology ideas to life by conceiving and designing a complete synthetic biology project. The case studies include the complete activities  from conceptualization to experimental design, intellectual property issues, commercialization strategy, communication and human practices, ethical aspects, and consideration of biosecurity issues.