Homework
Weekly homework submissions:
Week 1 HW: Principles and Practices
- First, describe a biological engineering application or tool you want to develop and why. Paratransgenic symbiont to block dengue transmission in Aedes aegypti Mosquito-borne dengue is a global threat, yet current control measures have a vector elimination focus increasingly undermined by insecticide resistance. Vaccines have shown limited efficacy, and with no broadly effective antivirals, dengue prevention still relies heavily on mosquito and larvae control (Hu et al., 2025). Considering this, researchers are leveraging synthetic biology to develop paratransgenic strategies that render A. aegypti mosquitoes refractory to infection by delivering anti-pathogen molecules inside the mosquito, thereby blocking virus replication and transmission (Gao et al., 2025). The biological engineering tool proposed is a synthetic paratransgenic bacterial symbiont designed to live in the gut of A. aegypti mosquitoes and actively block dengue virus transmission. The purpose is to use a naturally mosquito-associated bacterium (such as Asaia spp.) genetically engineered to sense mosquito feeding conditions and secrete antiviral effector molecules directly into the midgut lumen. The gut of A. aegypti offers a strategic intervention point. Dengue virus first encounters the midgut epithelium after a blood meal, and if viral entry is blocked at this stage, systemic infection of the mosquito can be prevented by secretion of viral entry inhibitors, such as peptides. It is an ecologically targeted solution, because it doesn’t intend to eradicate the mosquito populations from their ecosystems, as every part of the trophic network needs to stay in balance.
Week 2 HW: DNA Read, Write and Edit
Part 1: Benchling & In-silico Gel Art Preliminary notebook sketches illustrating the conceptual design process for the intended latent figure.
Week 2 LP: DNA Read, Write and Edit
In preparation for Week 2’s lecture on “DNA Read, Write, and Edit" answer the following questions in each faculty member’s section Homework Questions from Professor Jacobson
Opentron Art Post-Lab Questions Find and describe a published paper that utilizes the Opentrons or an automation tool to achieve novel biological applications. Summary This study introduces Pyhamilton, an open-source Python framework that enables flexible programming of liquid-handling robots for high-throughput biological experimentation. Unlike traditional robotic automation, which merely replicates hand-pipetting protocols, Pyhamilton allows for dynamic decision-making, asynchronous execution, and real-time feedback integration.