Engineering Biology Objectives & Technical Achievements
Prevent, reverse, or neutralize microlesions induced by toxins, radiation, and other factors.
Engineering DNA | Biomolecular Engineering | Host Engineering | Data Science |
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High-fidelity production and delivery of DNA and non-coding RNAs to aid DNA damage repair. |
Design robust, mutation-specific, base-editors. Deliver synthetic repair machinery into the nucleus and mitochondria. Design lipids and cell surface features to reverse cell membrane damage. |
Induce prophylactic genetic and epigenetic states in somatic cells prior to exposure (an interesting example of this might be conditioning astronauts for space exploration). |
Use data analytics and modeling to predict microlesion weak-spots (e.g., DNA, RNA, protein hotspots) to support anticipatory medical care. |
Neutralization and clearance of toxic substances from the body.
Engineering DNA | Biomolecular Engineering | Host Engineering | Data Science |
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Achieve highly-efficient, rapid gene editing to enable cells to detect and neutralize threats as needed. |
Develop biomolecular reporters to track migration and accumulation of toxins through the body. Generate macromolecules that neutralize and clear prions and protein plaques from the body. Design high-affinity molecules to bind and clear toxins from the body (an interesting example of this might be a synthetic antivenom). |
Generate and engineer hosts and cell-free systems that can act as bio-factories to produce anti-toxins at practical scales. |
Models to predict symptoms, onset, and timing of poisoning, to inform the rational design of antidotes and treatment regimes. |