Research

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Synthetic Biology underpins advances in the bioeconomy

Biological systems - including the simplest cells - exhibit a broad range of functions to thrive in their environment. Research in the Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology is focused on the possibility of engineering the underlying biochemical processes to solve many of the challenges facing society, from healthcare to sustainable energy. In particular, we model, analyse, design and build biological and biochemical systems in living cells and/or in cell extracts, both exploring and enhancing the engineering potential of biology. 

As part of our research we develop novel methods to accelerate the celebrated Design-Build-Test-Learn synthetic biology cycle. As such research in the Centre for Synthetic Biology highly multi- and interdisciplinary covering computational modelling and machine learning approaches; automated platform development and genetic circuit engineering ; multi-cellular and multi-organismal interactions, including gene drive and genome engineering; metabolic engineering; in vitro/cell-free synthetic biology; engineered phages and directed evolution; and biomimetics, biomaterials and biological engineering.

Publications

Citation

BibTex format

@article{Royle:2017:10.1038/s41598-017-16172-0,
author = {Royle, KE and Polizzi, KM},
doi = {10.1038/s41598-017-16172-0},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
title = {A streamlined cloning workflow minimising the time-to-strain pipeline for Pichia pastoris},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-16172-0},
volume = {7},
year = {2017}
}
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RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Although recent advances in E. coli self-assembly have greatly simplified cloning, these have not yet been harnessed for the high-throughput generation of expression strains in the early research and discovery phases of biopharmaceutical production. Here, we have refined the technique and incorporated it into a streamlined workflow for the generation of Pichia pastoris expression strains, reducing the timeline by a third and removing the reliance on DNA editing enzymes, which often require troubleshooting and increase costs. We have validated the workflow by cloning 24 human proteins of biopharmaceutical value, either as direct therapeutics or as research targets, which span a continuous range in size and GC content. This includes demonstrating the applicability of the workflow to three-part assemblies for a monoclonal antibody and its single-chain antibody fragments derivatives. This workflow should enable future research into recombinant protein production by P. pastoris and a synthetic biology approach to this industrial host.
AU  - Royle,KE
AU  - Polizzi,KM
DO  - 10.1038/s41598-017-16172-0
PY  - 2017///
SN  - 2045-2322
TI  - A streamlined cloning workflow minimising the time-to-strain pipeline for Pichia pastoris
T2  - Scientific Reports
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-16172-0
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/53329
VL  - 7
ER  -
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