Engineering Biology Objectives & Technical Achievements
Increase non-vertebrate yield, including faster reproduction and development.
Engineering DNA | Biomolecular Engineering | Host Engineering | Data Science |
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Remove genes for non-essential functions from the perspective of engineering organisms as food (such as shell production, wing development). Silence genes involved in dormancy or molting to increase development and reproductive cycle-time. |
Develop synthetic anti-molting peptide that normally limits growth and reproductive cycle-time, to include in feed. |
Develop inducible system that increases the number of molts/year (especially at adult stage) to speed up development time and reach reproductive age more quickly. Develop a system that allows crustacea to continuously molt by overexpressing steroid hormones. |
Increase non-vertebrate biomass.
Engineering DNA | Biomolecular Engineering | Host Engineering | Data Science |
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Change or modulate hormonal pathways that limit growth by changing expression of pathway genes. |
Design enzymes that degrade hormones to prevent development from larvae to adults (for insects food sources). |
Inducible system that allows tunable expression of proteins or full pathway to maximize growth rate or biomass accumulation. Develop a system that allows crustacea to continuously molt by overexpressing steroid hormones. |