Week 1 HW: Final Project Ideas

(1) What you would like to biomanufacture and why?

I would like to make a system for in vivo directed evolution usign CRISPR guided mutagenesis coupled with a neuromorphic circuits for concentration positive/negative feedback. Idealy, for an enzyme that creates a substrate case, the neuromorphic circuit would be sensing the concentration of the substrate using a sensor, such that, if the concentration is high enough, it would repress/inhibit the CRISPR-guided mutagenesis part. With this part you could target some catalytic or binding domain.

The system could be applied for other cases; transcription factor optimization, by sensing the products of the targeted promoter; and binder design (with a well designed feedback system) ?

I belive this could be very useful! any lab could incorporate this without complex equipment or multiple costs for library synthesis and screening.

(2) What living system would you use?

Any living system could potentially applied it. I think microbial platforms such as E. coli or yeasts, and mammalian cells such as CHO would be nice.

Into the system goes a CRISPR guided mutagenic system, the sgRNA, the protein to optimize, the sensor, a ribonucleoprotein and the repressor of the mutagenic system. Ideally a sensor to know when the system stopped could be interesting.

(3) How would you use automation?

For assembly the plasmids, culturing and screening.

(4) How much would you need to make, and how long would it take?

A well designed system that works is enough. To make it interchanble the people would need to find/design a corresponding sensor to the substrate.

It could take from 4 months to a year i think. It depends if everything works well or if no.