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Cao Z, Chen R, Xu L, Zhou X, Fu X, Zhong W, Grima R. Efficient and scalable prediction of stochastic reaction-diffusion processes using graph neural networks. Math Biosci 2024; 375:109248. [PMID: 38986837 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbs.2024.109248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
The dynamics of locally interacting particles that are distributed in space give rise to a multitude of complex behaviours. However the simulation of reaction-diffusion processes which model such systems is highly computationally expensive, the cost increasing rapidly with the size of space. Here, we devise a graph neural network based approach that uses cheap Monte Carlo simulations of reaction-diffusion processes in a small space to cast predictions of the dynamics of the same processes in a much larger and complex space, including spaces modelled by networks with heterogeneous topology. By applying the method to two biological examples, we show that it leads to accurate results in a small fraction of the computation time of standard stochastic simulation methods. The scalability and accuracy of the method suggest it is a promising approach for studying reaction-diffusion processes in complex spatial domains such as those modelling biochemical reactions, population evolution and epidemic spreading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixing Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China; Department of Chemical Engineering, Queen's University, Kingston, Canada K7L 3N6.
| | - Rui Chen
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Libin Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Xinyi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Xiaoming Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Weimin Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Smart Manufacturing in Energy Chemical Process, Ministry of Education, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Ramon Grima
- School of Biological Sciences, the University of Edinburgh, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, Scotland, United Kingdom.
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2
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Lu H, Xiao L, Liao W, Yan X, Nielsen J. Cell factory design with advanced metabolic modelling empowered by artificial intelligence. Metab Eng 2024; 85:61-72. [PMID: 39038602 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2024.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2024] [Revised: 07/06/2024] [Accepted: 07/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Advances in synthetic biology and artificial intelligence (AI) have provided new opportunities for modern biotechnology. High-performance cell factories, the backbone of industrial biotechnology, are ultimately responsible for determining whether a bio-based product succeeds or fails in the fierce competition with petroleum-based products. To date, one of the greatest challenges in synthetic biology is the creation of high-performance cell factories in a consistent and efficient manner. As so-called white-box models, numerous metabolic network models have been developed and used in computational strain design. Moreover, great progress has been made in AI-powered strain engineering in recent years. Both approaches have advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, the deep integration of AI with metabolic models is crucial for the construction of superior cell factories with higher titres, yields and production rates. The detailed applications of the latest advanced metabolic models and AI in computational strain design are summarized in this review. Additionally, approaches for the deep integration of AI and metabolic models are discussed. It is anticipated that advanced mechanistic metabolic models powered by AI will pave the way for the efficient construction of powerful industrial chassis strains in the coming years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongzhong Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, PR China.
| | - Luchi Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, PR China
| | - Wenbin Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, PR China; Key Laboratory of Smart Manufacturing in Energy Chemical Process, Ministry of Education, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, PR China
| | - Xuefeng Yan
- Key Laboratory of Smart Manufacturing in Energy Chemical Process, Ministry of Education, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, PR China
| | - Jens Nielsen
- BioInnovation Institute, Ole Måløes Vej, DK2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark; Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, SE412 96, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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3
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Mutsuddy A, Huggins JR, Amrit A, Erdem C, Calhoun JC, Birtwistle MR. Mechanistic modeling of cell viability assays with in silico lineage tracing. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.23.609433. [PMID: 39253474 PMCID: PMC11383287 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.23.609433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/11/2024]
Abstract
Data from cell viability assays, which measure cumulative division and death events in a population and reflect substantial cellular heterogeneity, are widely available. However, interpreting such data with mechanistic computational models is hindered because direct model/data comparison is often muddled. We developed an algorithm that tracks simulated division and death events in mechanistically detailed single-cell lineages to enable such a model/data comparison and suggest causes of cell-cell drug response variability. Using our previously developed model of mammalian single-cell proliferation and death signaling, we simulated drug dose response experiments for four targeted anti-cancer drugs (alpelisib, neratinib, trametinib and palbociclib) and compared them to experimental data. Simulations are consistent with data for strong growth inhibition by trametinib (MEK inhibitor) and overall lack of efficacy for alpelisib (PI-3K inhibitor), but are inconsistent with data for palbociclib (CDK4/6 inhibitor) and neratinib (EGFR inhibitor). Model/data inconsistencies suggest (i) the importance of CDK4/6 for driving the cell cycle may be overestimated, and (ii) that the cellular balance between basal (tonic) and ligand-induced signaling is a critical determinant of receptor inhibitor response. Simulations show subpopulations of rapidly and slowly dividing cells in both control and drug-treated conditions. Variations in mother cells prior to drug treatment all impinging on ERK pathway activity are associated with the rapidly dividing phenotype and trametinib resistance. This work lays a foundation for the application of mechanistic modeling to large-scale cell viability assay datasets and better understanding determinants of cellular heterogeneity in drug response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnab Mutsuddy
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Jonah R Huggins
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Aurore Amrit
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
- Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Cemal Erdem
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jon C Calhoun
- Holcombe Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Marc R Birtwistle
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
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4
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Agmon E. Prelude to a Compositional Systems Biology. ARXIV 2024:arXiv:2408.00942v1. [PMID: 39130201 PMCID: PMC11312625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Composition is a powerful principle for systems biology, focused on the interfaces, interconnections, and orchestration of distributed processes. Whereas most systems biology models focus on the structure or dynamics of specific subsystems in controlled conditions, compositional systems biology aims to connect such models into integrative multiscale simulations. This emphasizes the space between models-a compositional perspective asks what variables should be exposed through a submodel's interface? How do coupled models connect and translate across scales? How can we connect domain-specific models across biological and physical research areas to drive the synthesis of new knowledge? What is required of software that integrates diverse datasets and submodels into unified multiscale simulations? How can the resulting integrative models be accessed, flexibly recombined into new forms, and iteratively refined by a community of researchers? This essay offers a high-level overview of the key components for compositional systems biology, including: 1) a conceptual framework and corresponding graphical framework to represent interfaces, composition patterns, and orchestration patterns; 2) standardized composition schemas that offer consistent formats for composable data types and models, fostering robust infrastructure for a registry of simulation modules that can be flexibly assembled; 3) a foundational set of biological templates-schemas for cellular and molecular interfaces, which can be filled with detailed submodels and datasets, and are designed to integrate knowledge that sheds light on the molecular emergence of cells; and 4) scientific collaboration facilitated by user-friendly interfaces for connecting researchers with datasets and models, and which allows a community of researchers to effectively build integrative multiscale models of cellular systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eran Agmon
- Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling, Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
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5
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Kim K, Choe D, Cho S, Palsson B, Cho BK. Reduction-to-synthesis: the dominant approach to genome-scale synthetic biology. Trends Biotechnol 2024; 42:1048-1063. [PMID: 38423803 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Advances in systems and synthetic biology have propelled the construction of reduced bacterial genomes. Genome reduction was initially focused on exploring properties of minimal genomes, but more recently it has been deployed as an engineering strategy to enhance strain performance. This review provides the latest updates on reduced genomes, focusing on dual-track approaches of top-down reduction and bottom-up synthesis for their construction. Using cases from studies that are based on established industrial workhorse strains, we discuss the construction of a series of synthetic phenotypes that are candidates for biotechnological applications. Finally, we address the possible uses of reduced genomes for biotechnological applications and the needed future research directions that may ultimately lead to the total synthesis of rationally designed genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangsan Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea; KI for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Donghui Choe
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Suhyung Cho
- KI for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Bernhard Palsson
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, Kongens, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Byung-Kwan Cho
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea; KI for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea; Graduate School of Engineering Biology, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.
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6
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Li J, Zhou Y, Chen SJ. Embracing exascale computing in nucleic acid simulations. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2024; 87:102847. [PMID: 38815519 PMCID: PMC11283969 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2024.102847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
This mini-review reports the recent advances in biomolecular simulations, particularly for nucleic acids, and provides the potential effects of the emerging exascale computing on nucleic acid simulations, emphasizing the need for advanced computational strategies to fully exploit this technological frontier. Specifically, we introduce recent breakthroughs in computer architectures for large-scale biomolecular simulations and review the simulation protocols for nucleic acids regarding force fields, enhanced sampling methods, coarse-grained models, and interactions with ligands. We also explore the integration of machine learning methods into simulations, which promises to significantly enhance the predictive modeling of biomolecules and the analysis of complex data generated by the exascale simulations. Finally, we discuss the challenges and perspectives for biomolecular simulations as we enter the dawning exascale computing era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Li
- Department of Physics, Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Data Science and Informatics, University of Missouri, 223 Physics Bldg., Columbia, 65211, MO, USA
| | - Yuanzhe Zhou
- Department of Physics, Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Data Science and Informatics, University of Missouri, 223 Physics Bldg., Columbia, 65211, MO, USA
| | - Shi-Jie Chen
- Department of Physics, Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Data Science and Informatics, University of Missouri, 223 Physics Bldg., Columbia, 65211, MO, USA.
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7
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Brown CM, Marrink SJ. Modeling membranes in situ. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2024; 87:102837. [PMID: 38744147 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2024.102837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Molecular dynamics simulations of cellular membranes have come a long way-from simple model lipid bilayers to multicomponent systems capturing the crowded and complex nature of real cell membranes. In this opinionated minireview, we discuss the current challenge to simulate the dynamics of membranes in their native environment, in situ, with the prospect of reaching the level of whole cells and cell organelles using an integrative modeling framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea M Brown
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands. https://twitter.com/chelseabrowncg
| | - Siewert J Marrink
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands. s.j.marrinkrug.nl
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8
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Giulini M, Fiorentini R, Tubiana L, Potestio R, Menichetti R. EXCOGITO, an Extensible Coarse-Graining Toolbox for the Investigation of Biomolecules by Means of Low-Resolution Representations. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:4912-4927. [PMID: 38860513 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c00490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Bottom-up coarse-grained (CG) models proved to be essential to complement and sometimes even replace all-atom representations of soft matter systems and biological macromolecules. The development of low-resolution models takes the moves from the reduction of the degrees of freedom employed, that is, the definition of a mapping between a system's high-resolution description and its simplified counterpart. Even in the absence of an explicit parametrization and simulation of a CG model, the observation of the atomistic system in simpler terms can be informative: this idea is leveraged by the mapping entropy, a measure of the information loss inherent to the process of coarsening. Mapping entropy lies at the heart of the extensible coarse-graining toolbox, EXCOGITO, developed to perform a number of operations and analyses on molecular systems pivoting around the properties of mappings. EXCOGITO can process an all-atom trajectory to compute the mapping entropy, identify the mapping that minimizes it, and establish quantitative relations between a low-resolution representation and the geometrical, structural, and energetic features of the system. Here, the software, which is available free of charge under an open-source license, is presented and showcased to introduce potential users to its capabilities and usage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Giulini
- Physics Department, University of Trento, Via Sommarive, 14, Trento I-38123, Italy
- INFN-TIFPA, Trento Institute for Fundamental Physics and Applications, Trento I-38123, Italy
| | - Raffaele Fiorentini
- Physics Department, University of Trento, Via Sommarive, 14, Trento I-38123, Italy
- INFN-TIFPA, Trento Institute for Fundamental Physics and Applications, Trento I-38123, Italy
| | - Luca Tubiana
- Physics Department, University of Trento, Via Sommarive, 14, Trento I-38123, Italy
- INFN-TIFPA, Trento Institute for Fundamental Physics and Applications, Trento I-38123, Italy
| | - Raffaello Potestio
- Physics Department, University of Trento, Via Sommarive, 14, Trento I-38123, Italy
- INFN-TIFPA, Trento Institute for Fundamental Physics and Applications, Trento I-38123, Italy
| | - Roberto Menichetti
- Physics Department, University of Trento, Via Sommarive, 14, Trento I-38123, Italy
- INFN-TIFPA, Trento Institute for Fundamental Physics and Applications, Trento I-38123, Italy
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9
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Zelenka NR, Di Cara N, Sharma K, Sarvaharman S, Ghataora JS, Parmeggiani F, Nivala J, Abdallah ZS, Marucci L, Gorochowski TE. Data hazards in synthetic biology. Synth Biol (Oxf) 2024; 9:ysae010. [PMID: 38973982 PMCID: PMC11227101 DOI: 10.1093/synbio/ysae010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Data science is playing an increasingly important role in the design and analysis of engineered biology. This has been fueled by the development of high-throughput methods like massively parallel reporter assays, data-rich microscopy techniques, computational protein structure prediction and design, and the development of whole-cell models able to generate huge volumes of data. Although the ability to apply data-centric analyses in these contexts is appealing and increasingly simple to do, it comes with potential risks. For example, how might biases in the underlying data affect the validity of a result and what might the environmental impact of large-scale data analyses be? Here, we present a community-developed framework for assessing data hazards to help address these concerns and demonstrate its application to two synthetic biology case studies. We show the diversity of considerations that arise in common types of bioengineering projects and provide some guidelines and mitigating steps. Understanding potential issues and dangers when working with data and proactively addressing them will be essential for ensuring the appropriate use of emerging data-intensive AI methods and help increase the trustworthiness of their applications in synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie R Zelenka
- Jean Golding Institute, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- BrisEngBio, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Nina Di Cara
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Kieren Sharma
- School of Engineering Mathematics and Technology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | | | - Jasdeep S Ghataora
- BrisEngBio, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Fabio Parmeggiani
- BrisEngBio, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Jeff Nivala
- Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Zahraa S Abdallah
- School of Engineering Mathematics and Technology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Lucia Marucci
- BrisEngBio, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- School of Engineering Mathematics and Technology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Thomas E Gorochowski
- BrisEngBio, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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10
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Sato G, Miyazawa S, Doi N, Fujiwara K. Cell-Free Protein Expression by a Reconstituted Transcription-Translation System Energized by Sugar Catabolism. Molecules 2024; 29:2956. [PMID: 38998908 PMCID: PMC11243612 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29132956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Cooperation between catabolism and anabolism is crucial for maintaining homeostasis in living cells. The most fundamental systems for catabolism and anabolism are the glycolysis of sugars and the transcription-translation (TX-TL) of DNA, respectively. Despite their importance in living cells, the in vitro reconstitution of their cooperation through purified factors has not been achieved, which hinders the elucidation of the design principle in living cells. Here, we reconstituted glycolysis using sugars and integrated it with the PURE system, a commercial in vitro TX-TL kit composed of purified factors. By optimizing key parameters, such as glucokinase and initial phosphate concentrations, we determined suitable conditions for their cooperation. The optimized system showed protein synthesis at up to 33% of that of the original PURE system. We observed that ATP consumption in upstream glycolysis inhibits TX-TL and that this inhibition can be alleviated by the co-addition of glycolytic intermediates, such as glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate, with glucose. Moreover, the system developed here simultaneously synthesizes a subset of its own enzymes, that is, glycolytic enzymes, in a single test tube, which is a necessary step toward self-replication. As glycolysis and TX-TL provide building blocks for constructing cells, the integrated system can be a fundamental material for reconstituting living cells from purified factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaku Sato
- Department of Biosciences & Informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan
| | - Shintaro Miyazawa
- Department of Biosciences & Informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan
| | - Nobuhide Doi
- Department of Biosciences & Informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan
| | - Kei Fujiwara
- Department of Biosciences & Informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan
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11
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Garfinkel AM, Ilker E, Miyazawa H, Schmeisser K, Tennessen JM. Historic obstacles and emerging opportunities in the field of developmental metabolism - lessons from Heidelberg. Development 2024; 151:dev202937. [PMID: 38912552 PMCID: PMC11299503 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
The field of developmental metabolism is experiencing a technological revolution that is opening entirely new fields of inquiry. Advances in metabolomics, small-molecule sensors, single-cell RNA sequencing and computational modeling present new opportunities for exploring cell-specific and tissue-specific metabolic networks, interorgan metabolic communication, and gene-by-metabolite interactions in time and space. Together, these advances not only present a means by which developmental biologists can tackle questions that have challenged the field for centuries, but also present young scientists with opportunities to define new areas of inquiry. These emerging frontiers of developmental metabolism were at the center of a highly interactive 2023 EMBO workshop 'Developmental metabolism: flows of energy, matter, and information'. Here, we summarize key discussions from this forum, emphasizing modern developmental biology's challenges and opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M. Garfinkel
- Pediatric Genomics Discovery Program, Department of Pediatrics and Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Section of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Efe Ilker
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden 01187, Germany
| | - Hidenobu Miyazawa
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg 69117, Germany
| | - Kathrin Schmeisser
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden 01307, Germany
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12
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Iram A, Dong Y, Ignea C. Synthetic biology advances towards a bio-based society in the era of artificial intelligence. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2024; 87:103143. [PMID: 38781699 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2024] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Synthetic biology is a rapidly emerging field with broad underlying applications in health, industry, agriculture, or environment, enabling sustainable solutions for unmet needs of modern society. With the very recent addition of artificial intelligence (AI) approaches, this field is now growing at a rate that can help reach the envisioned goals of bio-based society within the next few decades. Integrating AI with plant-based technologies, such as protein engineering, phytochemicals production, plant system engineering, or microbiome engineering, potentially disruptive applications have already been reported. These include enzymatic synthesis of new-to-nature molecules, bioelectricity generation, or biomass applications as construction material. Thus, in the not-so-distant future, synthetic biologists will help attain the overarching goal of a sustainable yet efficient production system for every aspect of society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attia Iram
- Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0C3, Canada
| | - Yueming Dong
- Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0C3, Canada
| | - Codruta Ignea
- Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0C3, Canada.
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13
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Chen XR, Cui YZ, Li BZ, Yuan YJ. Genome engineering on size reduction and complexity simplification: A review. J Adv Res 2024; 60:159-171. [PMID: 37442424 PMCID: PMC11156615 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2023.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genome simplification is an important topic in the field of life sciences that has attracted attention from its conception to the present day. It can help uncover the essential components of the genome and, in turn, shed light on the underlying operating principles of complex biological systems. This has made it a central focus of both basic and applied research in the life sciences. With the recent advancements in related technologies and our increasing knowledge of the genome, now is an opportune time to delve into this topic. AIM OF REVIEW Our review investigates the progress of genome simplification from two perspectives: genome size reduction and complexity simplification. In addition, we provide insights into the future development trends of genome simplification. KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF REVIEW Reducing genome size requires eliminating non-essential elements as much as possible. This process has been facilitated by advances in genome manipulation and synthesis techniques. However, we still need a better and clearer understanding of living systems to reduce genome complexity. As there is a lack of quantitative and clearly defined standards for this task, we have opted to approach the topic from various perspectives and present our findings accordingly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang-Rong Chen
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China; Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - You-Zhi Cui
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China; Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Bing-Zhi Li
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China; Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.
| | - Ying-Jin Yuan
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China; Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
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14
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Rafelski SM, Theriot JA. Establishing a conceptual framework for holistic cell states and state transitions. Cell 2024; 187:2633-2651. [PMID: 38788687 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.04.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Cell states were traditionally defined by how they looked, where they were located, and what functions they performed. In this post-genomic era, the field is largely focused on a molecular view of cell state. Moving forward, we anticipate that the observables used to define cell states will evolve again as single-cell imaging and analytics are advancing at a breakneck pace via the collection of large-scale, systematic cell image datasets and the application of quantitative image-based data science methods. This is, therefore, a key moment in the arc of cell biological research to develop approaches that integrate the spatiotemporal observables of the physical structure and organization of the cell with molecular observables toward the concept of a holistic cell state. In this perspective, we propose a conceptual framework for holistic cell states and state transitions that is data-driven, practical, and useful to enable integrative analyses and modeling across many data types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne M Rafelski
- Allen Institute for Cell Science, 615 Westlake Avenue N, Seattle, WA 98125, USA.
| | - Julie A Theriot
- Department of Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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15
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Sato G, Kinoshita S, Yamada TG, Arai S, Kitaguchi T, Funahashi A, Doi N, Fujiwara K. Metabolic Tug-of-War between Glycolysis and Translation Revealed by Biochemical Reconstitution. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:1572-1581. [PMID: 38717981 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.4c00209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Inside cells, various biological systems work cooperatively for homeostasis and self-replication. These systems do not work independently as they compete for shared elements like ATP and NADH. However, it has been believed that such competition is not a problem in codependent biological systems such as the energy-supplying glycolysis and the energy-consuming translation system. In this study, we biochemically reconstituted the coupling system of glycolysis and translation using purified elements and found that the competition for ATP between glycolysis and protein synthesis interferes with their coupling. Both experiments and simulations revealed that this interference is derived from a metabolic tug-of-war between glycolysis and translation based on their reaction rates, which changes the threshold of the initial substrate concentration for the success coupling. By the metabolic tug-of-war, translation energized by strong glycolysis is facilitated by an exogenous ATPase, which normally inhibits translation. These findings provide chemical insights into the mechanism of competition among biological systems in living cells and provide a framework for the construction of synthetic metabolism in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaku Sato
- Department of Biosciences & Informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan
| | - Saki Kinoshita
- Department of Biosciences & Informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan
| | - Takahiro G Yamada
- Department of Biosciences & Informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Satoshi Arai
- Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Kitaguchi
- Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Nagatsuta-cho, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226-8503, Japan
| | - Akira Funahashi
- Department of Biosciences & Informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan
| | - Nobuhide Doi
- Department of Biosciences & Informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan
| | - Kei Fujiwara
- Department of Biosciences & Informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan
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16
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Castle SD, Stock M, Gorochowski TE. Engineering is evolution: a perspective on design processes to engineer biology. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3640. [PMID: 38684714 PMCID: PMC11059173 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48000-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Careful consideration of how we approach design is crucial to all areas of biotechnology. However, choosing or developing an effective design methodology is not always easy as biology, unlike most areas of engineering, is able to adapt and evolve. Here, we put forward that design and evolution follow a similar cyclic process and therefore all design methods, including traditional design, directed evolution, and even random trial and error, exist within an evolutionary design spectrum. This contrasts with conventional views that often place these methods at odds and provides a valuable framework for unifying engineering approaches for challenging biological design problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simeon D Castle
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, UK.
| | - Michiel Stock
- KERMIT, Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Thomas E Gorochowski
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, UK.
- BrisEngBio, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol, UK.
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17
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Catoiu EA, Mih N, Lu M, Palsson B. Establishing comprehensive quaternary structural proteomes from genome sequence. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.24.590993. [PMID: 38712217 PMCID: PMC11071507 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.24.590993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
A critical body of knowledge has developed through advances in protein microscopy, protein-fold modeling, structural biology software, availability of sequenced bacterial genomes, large-scale mutation databases, and genome-scale models. Based on these recent advances, we develop a computational framework that; i) identifies the oligomeric structural proteome encoded by an organism's genome from available structural resources; ii) maps multi-strain alleleomic variation, resulting in the structural proteome for a species; and iii) calculates the 3D orientation of proteins across subcellular compartments with residue-level precision. Using the platform, we; iv) compute the quaternary E. coli K-12 MG1655 structural proteome; v) use a dataset of 12,000 mutations to build Random Forest classifiers that can predict the severity of mutations; and, in combination with a genome-scale model that computes proteome allocation, vi) obtain the spatial allocation of the E. coli proteome. Thus, in conjunction with relevant datasets and increasingly accurate computational models, we can now annotate quaternary structural proteomes, at genome-scale, to obtain a molecular-level understanding of whole-cell functions. Significance Advancements in experimental and computational methods have revealed the shapes of multi-subunit proteins. The absence of a unified platform that maps actionable datatypes onto these increasingly accurate structures creates a barrier to structural analyses, especially at the genome-scale. Here, we describe QSPACE, a computational annotation platform that evaluates existing resources to identify the best-available structure for each protein in a user's query, maps the 3D location of actionable datatypes ( e.g. , active sites, published mutations) onto the selected structures, and uses third-party APIs to determine the subcellular compartment of all amino acids of a protein. As proof-of-concept, we deployed QSPACE to generate the quaternary structural proteome of E. coli MG1655 and demonstrate two use-cases involving large-scale mutant analysis and genome-scale modelling.
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18
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Han Z, Fink O, Kammer DS. Collective relational inference for learning heterogeneous interactions. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3191. [PMID: 38609382 PMCID: PMC11258243 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47098-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Interacting systems are ubiquitous in nature and engineering, ranging from particle dynamics in physics to functionally connected brain regions. Revealing interaction laws is of fundamental importance but also particularly challenging due to underlying configurational complexities. These challenges become exacerbated for heterogeneous systems that are prevalent in reality, where multiple interaction types coexist simultaneously and relational inference is required. Here, we propose a probabilistic method for relational inference, which possesses two distinctive characteristics compared to existing methods. First, it infers the interaction types of different edges collectively by explicitly encoding the correlation among incoming interactions with a joint distribution, and second, it allows handling systems with variable topological structure over time. We evaluate the proposed methodology across several benchmark datasets and demonstrate that it outperforms existing methods in accurately inferring interaction types. The developed methodology constitutes a key element for understanding interacting systems and may find application in graph structure learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhichao Han
- Institute for Building Materials, ETH Zürich, Laura-Hezner-Weg 7, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Olga Fink
- Laboratory of Intelligent Maintenance and Operations Systems, EPFL, Station 18, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - David S Kammer
- Institute for Building Materials, ETH Zürich, Laura-Hezner-Weg 7, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland.
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19
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Baghdassarian HM, Lewis NE. Resource allocation in mammalian systems. Biotechnol Adv 2024; 71:108305. [PMID: 38215956 PMCID: PMC11182366 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Cells execute biological functions to support phenotypes such as growth, migration, and secretion. Complementarily, each function of a cell has resource costs that constrain phenotype. Resource allocation by a cell allows it to manage these costs and optimize their phenotypes. In fact, the management of resource constraints (e.g., nutrient availability, bioenergetic capacity, and macromolecular machinery production) shape activity and ultimately impact phenotype. In mammalian systems, quantification of resource allocation provides important insights into higher-order multicellular functions; it shapes intercellular interactions and relays environmental cues for tissues to coordinate individual cells to overcome resource constraints and achieve population-level behavior. Furthermore, these constraints, objectives, and phenotypes are context-dependent, with cells adapting their behavior according to their microenvironment, resulting in distinct steady-states. This review will highlight the biological insights gained from probing resource allocation in mammalian cells and tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hratch M Baghdassarian
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Nathan E Lewis
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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20
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Kiirikki AM, Antila HS, Bort LS, Buslaev P, Favela-Rosales F, Ferreira TM, Fuchs PFJ, Garcia-Fandino R, Gushchin I, Kav B, Kučerka N, Kula P, Kurki M, Kuzmin A, Lalitha A, Lolicato F, Madsen JJ, Miettinen MS, Mingham C, Monticelli L, Nencini R, Nesterenko AM, Piggot TJ, Piñeiro Á, Reuter N, Samantray S, Suárez-Lestón F, Talandashti R, Ollila OHS. Overlay databank unlocks data-driven analyses of biomolecules for all. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1136. [PMID: 38326316 PMCID: PMC10850068 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45189-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Tools based on artificial intelligence (AI) are currently revolutionising many fields, yet their applications are often limited by the lack of suitable training data in programmatically accessible format. Here we propose an effective solution to make data scattered in various locations and formats accessible for data-driven and machine learning applications using the overlay databank format. To demonstrate the practical relevance of such approach, we present the NMRlipids Databank-a community-driven, open-for-all database featuring programmatic access to quality-evaluated atom-resolution molecular dynamics simulations of cellular membranes. Cellular membrane lipid composition is implicated in diseases and controls major biological functions, but membranes are difficult to study experimentally due to their intrinsic disorder and complex phase behaviour. While MD simulations have been useful in understanding membrane systems, they require significant computational resources and often suffer from inaccuracies in model parameters. Here, we demonstrate how programmable interface for flexible implementation of data-driven and machine learning applications, and rapid access to simulation data through a graphical user interface, unlock possibilities beyond current MD simulation and experimental studies to understand cellular membranes. The proposed overlay databank concept can be further applied to other biomolecules, as well as in other fields where similar barriers hinder the AI revolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne M Kiirikki
- University of Helsinki, Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hanne S Antila
- Department of Theory and Bio-Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14424, Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, 5020, Bergen, Norway
| | - Lara S Bort
- Department of Theory and Bio-Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14424, Potsdam, Germany
- University of Potsdam, Institute of Physics and Astronomy, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Pavel Buslaev
- Nanoscience Center and Department of Chemistry, University of Jyväskylä, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Fernando Favela-Rosales
- Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Tecnológico Nacional de México - ITS Zacatecas Occidente, Sombrerete, 99102, Zacatecas, Mexico
| | - Tiago Mendes Ferreira
- NMR group - Institute for Physics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Patrick F J Fuchs
- Sorbonne Université, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL University, CNRS, Laboratoire des Biomolécules (LBM), F-75005, Paris, France
- Université Paris Cité, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Rebeca Garcia-Fandino
- Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, E-15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | | | - Batuhan Kav
- Institute of Biological Information Processing: Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52428, Jülich, Germany
- ariadne.ai GmbH (Germany), Häusserstraße 3, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Norbert Kučerka
- Department of Physical Chemistry of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University Bratislava, 832 32, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Patrik Kula
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo nám. 542/2, CZ-16610, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Milla Kurki
- School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, 70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | | | - Anusha Lalitha
- Institut Charles Gerhardt Montpellier (UMR CNRS 5253), Université Montpellier, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095, Montpellier, Cedex 05, France
| | - Fabio Lolicato
- Heidelberg University Biochemistry Center, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jesper J Madsen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 33612, Tampa, FL, USA
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, Global and Planetary Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, 33612, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Markus S Miettinen
- Department of Theory and Bio-Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14424, Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Chemistry, University of Bergen, 5007, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Informatics, Computational Biology Unit, University of Bergen, 5008, Bergen, Norway
| | - Cedric Mingham
- Hochschule Mannheim, University of Applied Sciences, 68163, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Luca Monticelli
- University of Lyon, CNRS, Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB, UMR 5086), F-69007, Lyon, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Lyon, France
| | - Ricky Nencini
- University of Helsinki, Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki, Finland
- Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Alexey M Nesterenko
- Department of Chemistry, University of Bergen, 5007, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Informatics, Computational Biology Unit, University of Bergen, 5008, Bergen, Norway
| | - Thomas J Piggot
- Chemistry, University of Southampton, Highfield, SO17 1BJ, Southampton, UK
| | - Ángel Piñeiro
- Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Santiago de Compostela, E-15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Nathalie Reuter
- Department of Chemistry, University of Bergen, 5007, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Informatics, Computational Biology Unit, University of Bergen, 5008, Bergen, Norway
| | - Suman Samantray
- Institute of Biological Information Processing: Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52428, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 3, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Fabián Suárez-Lestón
- Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, E-15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Santiago de Compostela, E-15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- MD.USE Innovations S.L., Edificio Emprendia, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Reza Talandashti
- Department of Chemistry, University of Bergen, 5007, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Informatics, Computational Biology Unit, University of Bergen, 5008, Bergen, Norway
| | - O H Samuli Ollila
- University of Helsinki, Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki, Finland.
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo, Finland.
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21
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McCafferty CL, Klumpe S, Amaro RE, Kukulski W, Collinson L, Engel BD. Integrating cellular electron microscopy with multimodal data to explore biology across space and time. Cell 2024; 187:563-584. [PMID: 38306982 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Biology spans a continuum of length and time scales. Individual experimental methods only glimpse discrete pieces of this spectrum but can be combined to construct a more holistic view. In this Review, we detail the latest advancements in volume electron microscopy (vEM) and cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET), which together can visualize biological complexity across scales from the organization of cells in large tissues to the molecular details inside native cellular environments. In addition, we discuss emerging methodologies for integrating three-dimensional electron microscopy (3DEM) imaging with multimodal data, including fluorescence microscopy, mass spectrometry, single-particle analysis, and AI-based structure prediction. This multifaceted approach fills gaps in the biological continuum, providing functional context, spatial organization, molecular identity, and native interactions. We conclude with a perspective on incorporating diverse data into computational simulations that further bridge and extend length scales while integrating the dimension of time.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sven Klumpe
- Research Group CryoEM Technology, Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany.
| | - Rommie E Amaro
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - Wanda Kukulski
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Bühlstrasse 28, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Lucy Collinson
- Electron Microscopy Science Technology Platform, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK.
| | - Benjamin D Engel
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
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22
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Beck M, Covino R, Hänelt I, Müller-McNicoll M. Understanding the cell: Future views of structural biology. Cell 2024; 187:545-562. [PMID: 38306981 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Determining the structure and mechanisms of all individual functional modules of cells at high molecular detail has often been seen as equal to understanding how cells work. Recent technical advances have led to a flush of high-resolution structures of various macromolecular machines, but despite this wealth of detailed information, our understanding of cellular function remains incomplete. Here, we discuss present-day limitations of structural biology and highlight novel technologies that may enable us to analyze molecular functions directly inside cells. We predict that the progression toward structural cell biology will involve a shift toward conceptualizing a 4D virtual reality of cells using digital twins. These will capture cellular segments in a highly enriched molecular detail, include dynamic changes, and facilitate simulations of molecular processes, leading to novel and experimentally testable predictions. Transferring biological questions into algorithms that learn from the existing wealth of data and explore novel solutions may ultimately unveil how cells work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Beck
- Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - Roberto Covino
- Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Ruth-Moufang-Straße 1, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Inga Hänelt
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.
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23
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Ishida T. Simulation of the emergence of cell-like morphologies with evolutionary potential based on virtual molecular interactions. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2086. [PMID: 38267505 PMCID: PMC10808344 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52475-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
This study explored the emergence of life using a simulation model approach. The "multiset chemical lattice model" allows the placement of virtual molecules of multiple types in each lattice cell in a two-dimensional space. This model was capable of describing a wide variety of states and interactions, such as the diffusion, chemical reaction, and polymerization of virtual molecules, in a limited number of lattice cell spaces. Moreover, this model was capable of describing a wide variety of states and interactions, even in the limited lattice cell space of 100 × 100 cells. In this study, I assumed 18 types of virtual molecules, i.e., 18 virtual numbers that do not correspond to real molecules with chemical reactions represented by transformation of the numbers that occur with a specified reaction rate probability. Furthermore, it considered the energy metabolism and energy resources in the environment, and was able to reproduce "evolution," in which a certain cell-like shape that adapted to the environment survived under conditions of decreasing amounts of energy resources in the environment. This enabled the simulation of the emergence of cell-like shapes with the four minimum cellular requirements, i.e., boundary, metabolism, replication, and evolution, based solely on the interaction of virtual molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Ishida
- Department of Ocean Mechanical Engineering, National Fisheries University, 2-7-1, Nagata-Honmachi, Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, 759-6595, Japan.
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24
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Pezeshkian W, Ipsen JH. Mesoscale simulation of biomembranes with FreeDTS. Nat Commun 2024; 15:548. [PMID: 38228588 PMCID: PMC10792169 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44819-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
We present FreeDTS software for performing computational research on biomembranes at the mesoscale. In this software, a membrane is represented by a dynamically triangulated surface equipped with vertex-based inclusions to integrate the effects of integral and peripheral membrane proteins. Several algorithms are included in the software to simulate complex membranes at different conditions such as framed membranes with constant tension, vesicles and high-genus membranes with various fixed volumes or constant pressure differences and applying external forces to membrane regions. Furthermore, the software allows the user to turn off the shape evolution of the membrane and focus solely on the organization of proteins. As a result, we can take realistic membrane shapes obtained from, for example, cryo-electron tomography and backmap them into a finer simulation model. In addition to many biomembrane applications, this software brings us a step closer to simulating realistic biomembranes with molecular resolution. Here we provide several interesting showcases of the power of the software but leave a wide range of potential applications for interested users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weria Pezeshkian
- Niels Bohr International Academy, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 17, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - John H Ipsen
- MEMPHYS/PhyLife, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy (FKF), University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230, Odense M, Denmark
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25
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Gilbert BR, Luthey-Schulten Z. Replicating Chromosomes in Whole-Cell Models of Bacteria. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2819:625-653. [PMID: 39028527 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3930-6_29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Computational models of cells cannot be considered complete unless they include the most fundamental process of life, the replication of genetic material. In a recent study, we presented a computational framework to model systems of replicating bacterial chromosomes as polymers at 10 bp resolution with Brownian dynamics. This approach was used to investigate changes in chromosome organization during replication and extend the applicability of an existing whole-cell model (WCM) for a genetically minimal bacterium, JCVI-syn3A, to the entire cell cycle. To achieve cell-scale chromosome structures that are realistic, we modeled the chromosome as a self-avoiding homopolymer with bending and torsional stiffnesses that capture the essential mechanical properties of dsDNA in Syn3A. Additionally, the polymer interacts with ribosomes distributed according to cryo-electron tomograms of Syn3A. The polymer model was further augmented by computational models of loop extrusion by structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) protein complexes and topoisomerase action, and the modeling and analysis of multi-fork replication states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin R Gilbert
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Zaida Luthey-Schulten
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
- NSF Science and Technology Center for Quantitative Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
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26
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Moore JH, Li X, Chang JH, Tatonetti NP, Theodorescu D, Chen Y, Asselbergs FW, Venkatesan M, Wang ZP. SynTwin: A graph-based approach for predicting clinical outcomes using digital twins derived from synthetic patients. PACIFIC SYMPOSIUM ON BIOCOMPUTING. PACIFIC SYMPOSIUM ON BIOCOMPUTING 2024; 29:96-107. [PMID: 38160272 PMCID: PMC10827004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
The concept of a digital twin came from the engineering, industrial, and manufacturing domains to create virtual objects or machines that could inform the design and development of real objects. This idea is appealing for precision medicine where digital twins of patients could help inform healthcare decisions. We have developed a methodology for generating and using digital twins for clinical outcome prediction. We introduce a new approach that combines synthetic data and network science to create digital twins (i.e. SynTwin) for precision medicine. First, our approach starts by estimating the distance between all subjects based on their available features. Second, the distances are used to construct a network with subjects as nodes and edges defining distance less than the percolation threshold. Third, communities or cliques of subjects are defined. Fourth, a large population of synthetic patients are generated using a synthetic data generation algorithm that models the correlation structure of the data to generate new patients. Fifth, digital twins are selected from the synthetic patient population that are within a given distance defining a subject community in the network. Finally, we compare and contrast community-based prediction of clinical endpoints using real subjects, digital twins, or both within and outside of the community. Key to this approach are the digital twins defined using patient similarity that represent hypothetical unobserved patients with patterns similar to nearby real patients as defined by network distance and community structure. We apply our SynTwin approach to predicting mortality in a population-based cancer registry (n=87,674) from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program from the National Cancer Institute (USA). Our results demonstrate that nearest network neighbor prediction of mortality in this study is significantly improved with digital twins (AUROC=0.864, 95% CI=0.857-0.872) over just using real data alone (AUROC=0.791, 95% CI=0.781-0.800). These results suggest a network-based digital twin strategy using synthetic patients may add value to precision medicine efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason H Moore
- Department of Computational Biomedicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, West Hollywood, CA, United States2Cedars-Sinai Cancer, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States,
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27
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Chew YH, Marucci L. Mechanistic Model-Driven Biodesign in Mammalian Synthetic Biology. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2774:71-84. [PMID: 38441759 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3718-0_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Mathematical modeling plays a vital role in mammalian synthetic biology by providing a framework to design and optimize design circuits and engineered bioprocesses, predict their behavior, and guide experimental design. Here, we review recent models used in the literature, considering mathematical frameworks at the molecular, cellular, and system levels. We report key challenges in the field and discuss opportunities for genome-scale models, machine learning, and cybergenetics to expand the capabilities of model-driven mammalian cell biodesign.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Hoon Chew
- School of Mathematics, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Lucia Marucci
- Department of Engineering Mathematics, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
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28
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Ghaemi Z, Nafiu O, Tajkhorshid E, Gruebele M, Hu J. A computational spatial whole-Cell model for hepatitis B viral infection and drug interactions. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21392. [PMID: 38049515 PMCID: PMC10695947 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45998-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite a vaccine, hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a world-wide source of infections and deaths. We develop a whole-cell computational platform combining spatial and kinetic models describing the infection cycle of HBV in a hepatocyte host. We simulate key parts of the infection cycle with this whole-cell platform for 10 min of biological time, to predict infection progression, map out virus-host and virus-drug interactions. We find that starting from an established infection, decreasing the copy number of the viral envelope proteins shifts the dominant infection pathway from capsid secretion to re-importing the capsids into the nucleus, resulting in more nuclear-localized viral covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) and boosting transcription. This scenario can mimic the consequence of drugs designed to manipulate viral gene expression. Mutating capsid proteins facilitates capsid destabilization and disassembly at nuclear pore complexes, resulting in an increase in cccDNA copy number. However, excessive destabilization leads to premature cytoplasmic disassembly and does not increase the cccDNA counts. Finally, our simulations can predict the best drug dosage and its administration timing to reduce the cccDNA counts. Our adaptable computational platform can be parameterized to study other viruses and identify the most central viral pathways that can be targeted by drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaleh Ghaemi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
- National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center for Quantitative Cell Biology, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
| | - Oluwadara Nafiu
- Carle-Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Emad Tajkhorshid
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center for Quantitative Cell Biology, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Martin Gruebele
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center for Quantitative Cell Biology, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Carle-Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Jianming Hu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
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29
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Kaizu K, Takahashi K. Technologies for whole-cell modeling: Genome-wide reconstruction of a cell in silico. Dev Growth Differ 2023; 65:554-564. [PMID: 37856476 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
With advances in high-throughput, large-scale in vivo measurement and genome modification techniques at the single-nucleotide level, there is an increasing demand for the development of new technologies for the flexible design and control of cellular systems. Computer-aided design is a powerful tool to design new cells. Whole-cell modeling aims to integrate various cellular subsystems, determine their interactions and cooperative mechanisms, and predict comprehensive cellular behaviors by computational simulations on a genome-wide scale. It has been applied to prokaryotes, yeasts, and higher eukaryotic cells, and utilized in a wide range of applications, including production of valuable substances, drug discovery, and controlled differentiation. Whole-cell modeling, consisting of several thousand elements with diverse scales and properties, requires innovative model construction, simulation, and analysis techniques. Furthermore, whole-cell modeling has been extended to multiple scales, including high-resolution modeling at the single-nucleotide and single-amino acid levels and multicellular modeling of tissues and organs. This review presents an overview of the current state of whole-cell modeling, discusses the novel computational and experimental technologies driving it, and introduces further developments toward multihierarchical modeling on a whole-genome scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazunari Kaizu
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Osaka, Japan
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30
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Samuel Russell PP, Alaeen S, Pogorelov TV. In-Cell Dynamics: The Next Focus of All-Atom Simulations. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:9863-9872. [PMID: 37793083 PMCID: PMC10874638 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c05166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
The cell is a crowded space where large biomolecules and metabolites are in continuous motion. Great strides have been made in in vitro studies of protein dynamics, folding, and protein-protein interactions, and much new data are emerging of how they differ in the cell. In this Perspective, we highlight the current progress in atomistic modeling of in-cell environments, both bacteria and mammals, with emphasis on classical all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. These simulations have been recently used to capture and characterize functional and non-functional protein-protein interactions, protein folding dynamics of small proteins with varied topologies, and dynamics of metabolites. We further discuss the challenges and efforts for updating modern force fields critical to the progress of cellular environment simulations. We also briefly summarize developments in relevant state-of-the-art experimental techniques. As computational and experimental methodologies continue to progress and produce more directly comparable data, we are poised to capture the complex atomistic picture of the cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Premila P Samuel Russell
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Sepehr Alaeen
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Taras V Pogorelov
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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31
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Tozzi A, Mazzeo M. The First Nucleic Acid Strands May Have Grown on Peptides via Primeval Reverse Translation. Acta Biotheor 2023; 71:23. [PMID: 37947915 DOI: 10.1007/s10441-023-09474-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
The central dogma of molecular biology dictates that, with only a few exceptions, information proceeds from DNA to protein through an RNA intermediate. Examining the enigmatic steps from prebiotic to biological chemistry, we take another road suggesting that primordial peptides acted as template for the self-assembly of the first nucleic acids polymers. Arguing in favour of a sort of archaic "reverse translation" from proteins to RNA, our basic premise is a Hadean Earth where key biomolecules such as amino acids, polypeptides, purines, pyrimidines, nucleosides and nucleotides were available under different prebiotically plausible conditions, including meteorites delivery, shallow ponds and hydrothermal vents scenarios. Supporting a protein-first scenario alternative to the RNA world hypothesis, we propose the primeval occurrence of short two-dimensional peptides termed "selective amino acid- and nucleotide-matching oligopeptides" (henceforward SANMAOs) that noncovalently bind at the same time the polymerized amino acids and the single nucleotides dispersed in the prebiotic milieu. In this theoretical paper, we describe the chemical features of this hypothetical oligopeptide, its biological plausibility and its virtues from an evolutionary perspective. We provide a theoretical example of SANMAO's selective pairing between amino acids and nucleosides, simulating a poly-Glycine peptide that acts as a template to build a purinic chain corresponding to the glycine's extant triplet codon GGG. Further, we discuss how SANMAO might have endorsed the formation of low-fidelity RNA's polymerized strains, well before the appearance of the accurate genetic material's transmission ensured by the current translation apparatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arturo Tozzi
- Center for Nonlinear Science, Department of Physics, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle, #311427, Denton, TX, 76203-5017, USA.
| | - Marco Mazzeo
- Erredibi Srl, Via Pazzigno 117, 80146, Naples, Italy
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32
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Georgouli K, Yeom JS, Blake RC, Navid A. Multi-scale models of whole cells: progress and challenges. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1260507. [PMID: 38020904 PMCID: PMC10661945 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1260507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Whole-cell modeling is "the ultimate goal" of computational systems biology and "a grand challenge for 21st century" (Tomita, Trends in Biotechnology, 2001, 19(6), 205-10). These complex, highly detailed models account for the activity of every molecule in a cell and serve as comprehensive knowledgebases for the modeled system. Their scope and utility far surpass those of other systems models. In fact, whole-cell models (WCMs) are an amalgam of several types of "system" models. The models are simulated using a hybrid modeling method where the appropriate mathematical methods for each biological process are used to simulate their behavior. Given the complexity of the models, the process of developing and curating these models is labor-intensive and to date only a handful of these models have been developed. While whole-cell models provide valuable and novel biological insights, and to date have identified some novel biological phenomena, their most important contribution has been to highlight the discrepancy between available data and observations that are used for the parametrization and validation of complex biological models. Another realization has been that current whole-cell modeling simulators are slow and to run models that mimic more complex (e.g., multi-cellular) biosystems, those need to be executed in an accelerated fashion on high-performance computing platforms. In this manuscript, we review the progress of whole-cell modeling to date and discuss some of the ways that they can be improved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantia Georgouli
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, United States
| | - Jae-Seung Yeom
- Center for Applied Scientific Computing, Computing Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, United States
| | - Robert C. Blake
- Center for Applied Scientific Computing, Computing Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, United States
| | - Ali Navid
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, United States
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33
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Khalid S, Brandner AF, Juraschko N, Newman KE, Pedebos C, Prakaash D, Smith IPS, Waller C, Weerakoon D. Computational microbiology of bacteria: Advancements in molecular dynamics simulations. Structure 2023; 31:1320-1327. [PMID: 37875115 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2023.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Microbiology is traditionally considered within the context of wet laboratory methodologies. Computational techniques have a great potential to contribute to microbiology. Here, we describe our loose definition of "computational microbiology" and provide a short survey focused on molecular dynamics simulations of bacterial systems that fall within this definition. It is our contention that increased compositional complexity and realistic levels of molecular crowding within simulated systems are key for bridging the divide between experimental and computational microbiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syma Khalid
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, OX1 3QU Oxford, UK; School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ Southampton, UK.
| | - Astrid F Brandner
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, OX1 3QU Oxford, UK
| | - Nikolai Juraschko
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, OX1 3QU Oxford, UK; Artificial Intelligence and Informatics, The Rosalind Franklin Institute, Didcot, UK
| | - Kahlan E Newman
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ Southampton, UK
| | - Conrado Pedebos
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, OX1 3QU Oxford, UK; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biociências (PPGBio), Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre - UFCSPA, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Dheeraj Prakaash
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, OX1 3QU Oxford, UK
| | - Iain P S Smith
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ Southampton, UK
| | - Callum Waller
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ Southampton, UK
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34
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Johnson GT, Agmon E, Akamatsu M, Lundberg E, Lyons B, Ouyang W, Quintero-Carmona OA, Riel-Mehan M, Rafelski S, Horwitz R. Building the next generation of virtual cells to understand cellular biology. Biophys J 2023; 122:3560-3569. [PMID: 37050874 PMCID: PMC10541477 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell science has made significant progress by focusing on understanding individual cellular processes through reductionist approaches. However, the sheer volume of knowledge collected presents challenges in integrating this information across different scales of space and time to comprehend cellular behaviors, as well as making the data and methods more accessible for the community to tackle complex biological questions. This perspective proposes the creation of next-generation virtual cells, which are dynamic 3D models that integrate information from diverse sources, including simulations, biophysical models, image-based models, and evidence-based knowledge graphs. These virtual cells would provide statistically accurate and holistic views of real cells, bridging the gap between theoretical concepts and experimental data, and facilitating productive new collaborations among researchers across related fields.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eran Agmon
- Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, Connecticut
| | - Matthew Akamatsu
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Emma Lundberg
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California; Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, California; Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California
| | - Blair Lyons
- Allen Institute for Cell Science, Seattle, Washington
| | - Wei Ouyang
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | | | - Rick Horwitz
- Allen Institute for Cell Science, Seattle, Washington.
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35
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Gilbert BR, Thornburg ZR, Brier TA, Stevens JA, Grünewald F, Stone JE, Marrink SJ, Luthey-Schulten Z. Dynamics of chromosome organization in a minimal bacterial cell. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1214962. [PMID: 37621774 PMCID: PMC10445541 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1214962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Computational models of cells cannot be considered complete unless they include the most fundamental process of life, the replication and inheritance of genetic material. By creating a computational framework to model systems of replicating bacterial chromosomes as polymers at 10 bp resolution with Brownian dynamics, we investigate changes in chromosome organization during replication and extend the applicability of an existing whole-cell model (WCM) for a genetically minimal bacterium, JCVI-syn3A, to the entire cell-cycle. To achieve cell-scale chromosome structures that are realistic, we model the chromosome as a self-avoiding homopolymer with bending and torsional stiffnesses that capture the essential mechanical properties of dsDNA in Syn3A. In addition, the conformations of the circular DNA must avoid overlapping with ribosomes identitied in cryo-electron tomograms. While Syn3A lacks the complex regulatory systems known to orchestrate chromosome segregation in other bacteria, its minimized genome retains essential loop-extruding structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) protein complexes (SMC-scpAB) and topoisomerases. Through implementing the effects of these proteins in our simulations of replicating chromosomes, we find that they alone are sufficient for simultaneous chromosome segregation across all generations within nested theta structures. This supports previous studies suggesting loop-extrusion serves as a near-universal mechanism for chromosome organization within bacterial and eukaryotic cells. Furthermore, we analyze ribosome diffusion under the influence of the chromosome and calculate in silico chromosome contact maps that capture inter-daughter interactions. Finally, we present a methodology to map the polymer model of the chromosome to a Martini coarse-grained representation to prepare molecular dynamics models of entire Syn3A cells, which serves as an ultimate means of validation for cell states predicted by the WCM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin R. Gilbert
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Zane R. Thornburg
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Troy A. Brier
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Jan A. Stevens
- Molecular Dynamics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Fabian Grünewald
- Molecular Dynamics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - John E. Stone
- NVIDIA Corporation, Santa Clara, CA, United States
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Siewert J. Marrink
- Molecular Dynamics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Zaida Luthey-Schulten
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- NSF Center for the Physics of Living Cells, Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
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36
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Faure L, Mollet B, Liebermeister W, Faulon JL. A neural-mechanistic hybrid approach improving the predictive power of genome-scale metabolic models. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4669. [PMID: 37537192 PMCID: PMC10400647 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40380-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Constraint-based metabolic models have been used for decades to predict the phenotype of microorganisms in different environments. However, quantitative predictions are limited unless labor-intensive measurements of media uptake fluxes are performed. We show how hybrid neural-mechanistic models can serve as an architecture for machine learning providing a way to improve phenotype predictions. We illustrate our hybrid models with growth rate predictions of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas putida grown in different media and with phenotype predictions of gene knocked-out Escherichia coli mutants. Our neural-mechanistic models systematically outperform constraint-based models and require training set sizes orders of magnitude smaller than classical machine learning methods. Our hybrid approach opens a doorway to enhancing constraint-based modeling: instead of constraining mechanistic models with additional experimental measurements, our hybrid models grasp the power of machine learning while fulfilling mechanistic constrains, thus saving time and resources in typical systems biology or biological engineering projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léon Faure
- MICALIS Institute, INRAE, AgroParisTech, University of Paris-Saclay, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Bastien Mollet
- Ecole Normale Supérieure of Lyon, 69342, Lyon, France
- UMR MIA, INRAE, AgroParisTech, University of Paris-Saclay, 91120, Palaiseau, France
| | | | - Jean-Loup Faulon
- MICALIS Institute, INRAE, AgroParisTech, University of Paris-Saclay, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France.
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK.
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37
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Maheshwari AJ, Calles J, Waterton SK, Endy D. Engineering tRNA abundances for synthetic cellular systems. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4594. [PMID: 37524714 PMCID: PMC10390467 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40199-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Routinizing the engineering of synthetic cells requires specifying beforehand how many of each molecule are needed. Physics-based tools for estimating desired molecular abundances in whole-cell synthetic biology are missing. Here, we use a colloidal dynamics simulator to make predictions for how tRNA abundances impact protein synthesis rates. We use rational design and direct RNA synthesis to make 21 synthetic tRNA surrogates from scratch. We use evolutionary algorithms within a computer aided design framework to engineer translation systems predicted to work faster or slower depending on tRNA abundance differences. We build and test the so-specified synthetic systems and find qualitative agreement between expected and observed systems. First principles modeling combined with bottom-up experiments can help molecular-to-cellular scale synthetic biology realize design-build-work frameworks that transcend tinker-and-test.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonathan Calles
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Sean K Waterton
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Drew Endy
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
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38
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Palmer BJ, Almgren AS, Johnson CGM, Myers AT, Cannon WR. BMX: Biological modelling and interface exchange. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12235. [PMID: 37507417 PMCID: PMC10382537 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39150-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
High performance computing has a great potential to provide a range of significant benefits for investigating biological systems. These systems often present large modelling problems with many coupled subsystems, such as when studying colonies of bacteria cells. The aim to understand cell colonies has generated substantial interest as they can have strong economic and societal impacts through their roles in in industrial bioreactors and complex community structures, called biofilms, found in clinical settings. Investigating these communities through realistic models can rapidly exceed the capabilities of current serial software. Here, we introduce BMX, a software system developed for the high performance modelling of large cell communities by utilising GPU acceleration. BMX builds upon the AMRex adaptive mesh refinement package to efficiently model cell colony formation under realistic laboratory conditions. Using simple test scenarios with varying nutrient availability, we show that BMX is capable of correctly reproducing observed behavior of bacterial colonies on realistic time scales demonstrating a potential application of high performance computing to colony modelling. The open source software is available from the zenodo repository https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8084270 under the BSD-2-Clause licence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce J Palmer
- Physical and Computational Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Washington, USA
| | - Ann S Almgren
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Connah G M Johnson
- Physical and Computational Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Washington, USA.
| | - Andrew T Myers
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - William R Cannon
- Physical and Computational Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Washington, USA
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39
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Melo MCR, Bernardi RC. Fostering discoveries in the era of exascale computing: How the next generation of supercomputers empowers computational and experimental biophysics alike. Biophys J 2023; 122:2833-2840. [PMID: 36738105 PMCID: PMC10398237 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.01.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Over a century ago, physicists started broadly relying on theoretical models to guide new experiments. Soon thereafter, chemists began doing the same. Now, biological research enters a new era when experiment and theory walk hand in hand. Novel software and specialized hardware became essential to understand experimental data and propose new models. In fact, current petascale computing resources already allow researchers to reach unprecedented levels of simulation throughput to connect in silico and in vitro experiments. The reduction in cost and improved access allowed a large number of research groups to adopt supercomputing resources and techniques. Here, we outline how large-scale computing has evolved to expand decades-old research, spark new research efforts, and continuously connect simulation and observation. For instance, multiple publicly and privately funded groups have dedicated extensive resources to develop artificial intelligence tools for computational biophysics, from accelerating quantum chemistry calculations to proposing protein structure models. Moreover, advances in computer hardware have accelerated data processing from single-molecule experimental observations and simulations of chemical reactions occurring throughout entire cells. The combination of software and hardware has opened the way for exascale computing and the production of the first public exascale supercomputer, Frontier, inaugurated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 2022. Ultimately, the popularization and development of computational techniques and the training of researchers to use them will only accelerate the diversification of tools and learning resources for future generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo C R Melo
- Auburn University, Department of Physics, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
| | - Rafael C Bernardi
- Auburn University, Department of Physics, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama.
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40
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Stano P, Gentili PL, Damiano L, Magarini M. A Role for Bottom-Up Synthetic Cells in the Internet of Bio-Nano Things? Molecules 2023; 28:5564. [PMID: 37513436 PMCID: PMC10385758 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28145564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The potential role of bottom-up Synthetic Cells (SCs) in the Internet of Bio-Nano Things (IoBNT) is discussed. In particular, this perspective paper focuses on the growing interest in networks of biological and/or artificial objects at the micro- and nanoscale (cells and subcellular parts, microelectrodes, microvessels, etc.), whereby communication takes place in an unconventional manner, i.e., via chemical signaling. The resulting "molecular communication" (MC) scenario paves the way to the development of innovative technologies that have the potential to impact biotechnology, nanomedicine, and related fields. The scenario that relies on the interconnection of natural and artificial entities is briefly introduced, highlighting how Synthetic Biology (SB) plays a central role. SB allows the construction of various types of SCs that can be designed, tailored, and programmed according to specific predefined requirements. In particular, "bottom-up" SCs are briefly described by commenting on the principles of their design and fabrication and their features (in particular, the capacity to exchange chemicals with other SCs or with natural biological cells). Although bottom-up SCs still have low complexity and thus basic functionalities, here, we introduce their potential role in the IoBNT. This perspective paper aims to stimulate interest in and discussion on the presented topics. The article also includes commentaries on MC, semantic information, minimal cognition, wetware neuromorphic engineering, and chemical social robotics, with the specific potential they can bring to the IoBNT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pasquale Stano
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
| | - Pier Luigi Gentili
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Luisa Damiano
- Department of Communication, Arts and Media, IULM University, 20143 Milan, Italy
| | - Maurizio Magarini
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
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41
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Davoudi S, Ghysels A. Defining permeability of curved membranes in molecular dynamics simulations. Biophys J 2023; 122:2082-2091. [PMID: 36419351 PMCID: PMC10257088 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.11.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Many phospholipid membranes in the cell have a high curvature; for instance, in caveolae, mitochondrial crystae, nanotubes, membrane pearls, small liposomes, or exosomes. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are a computational tool to gain insight in the transport behavior at the atomic scale. Membrane permeability is a key kinetic property that might be affected in these highly curved membranes. Unfortunately, the geometry of highly curved membranes creates ambiguity in the permeability value, even with an arbitrarily large factor purely based on geometry, caused by the radial flux not being a constant value in steady state. In this contribution, the ambiguity in permeability for liposomes is countered by providing a new permeability definition. First, the inhomogeneous solubility diffusion model based on the Smoluchowski equation is solved analytically under radial symmetry, from which the entrance and escape permeabilities are defined. Next, the liposome permeability is defined guided by the criterion that a flat and curved membrane should have equal permeability, in case these were to be carved out from an imaginary homogeneous medium. With this criterion, our new definition allows for a fair comparison of flat and curved membranes. The definition is then transferred to the counting method, which is a practical computational approach to derive permeability by counting complete membrane crossings. Finally, the usability of the approach is illustrated with MD simulations of diphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) bilayers, without or with some cholesterol content. Our new liposome permeability definition allows us to compare a spherically shaped membrane with its flat counterpart, thus showcasing how the curvature effect on membrane transport may be assessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samaneh Davoudi
- IBiTech - Biommeda Group, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - An Ghysels
- IBiTech - Biommeda Group, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium.
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42
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Duncan AL, Pezeshkian W. Mesoscale simulations: An indispensable approach to understand biomembranes. Biophys J 2023; 122:1883-1889. [PMID: 36809878 PMCID: PMC10257116 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Computer simulation techniques form a versatile tool, a computational microscope, for exploring biological processes. This tool has been particularly effective in exploring different features of biological membranes. In recent years, thanks to elegant multiscale simulation schemes, some fundamental limitations of investigations by distinct simulation techniques have been resolved. As a result, we are now capable of exploring processes spanning multiple scales beyond the capacity of any single technique. In this perspective, we argue that mesoscale simulations require more attention and must be further developed to fill evident gaps in a quest toward simulating and modeling living cell membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna L Duncan
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark.
| | - Weria Pezeshkian
- Niels Bohr International Academy, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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43
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Bailoni E, Partipilo M, Coenradij J, Grundel DAJ, Slotboom DJ, Poolman B. Minimal Out-of-Equilibrium Metabolism for Synthetic Cells: A Membrane Perspective. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:922-946. [PMID: 37027340 PMCID: PMC10127287 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Life-like systems need to maintain a basal metabolism, which includes importing a variety of building blocks required for macromolecule synthesis, exporting dead-end products, and recycling cofactors and metabolic intermediates, while maintaining steady internal physical and chemical conditions (physicochemical homeostasis). A compartment, such as a unilamellar vesicle, functionalized with membrane-embedded transport proteins and metabolic enzymes encapsulated in the lumen meets these requirements. Here, we identify four modules designed for a minimal metabolism in a synthetic cell with a lipid bilayer boundary: energy provision and conversion, physicochemical homeostasis, metabolite transport, and membrane expansion. We review design strategies that can be used to fulfill these functions with a focus on the lipid and membrane protein composition of a cell. We compare our bottom-up design with the equivalent essential modules of JCVI-syn3a, a top-down genome-minimized living cell with a size comparable to that of large unilamellar vesicles. Finally, we discuss the bottlenecks related to the insertion of a complex mixture of membrane proteins into lipid bilayers and provide a semiquantitative estimate of the relative surface area and lipid-to-protein mass ratios (i.e., the minimal number of membrane proteins) that are required for the construction of a synthetic cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Bailoni
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Systems Biology, Groningen Biomolecular
Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University
of Groningen, Nijenborgh
4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Michele Partipilo
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Systems Biology, Groningen Biomolecular
Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University
of Groningen, Nijenborgh
4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jelmer Coenradij
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Systems Biology, Groningen Biomolecular
Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University
of Groningen, Nijenborgh
4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Douwe A. J. Grundel
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Systems Biology, Groningen Biomolecular
Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University
of Groningen, Nijenborgh
4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Dirk J. Slotboom
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Systems Biology, Groningen Biomolecular
Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University
of Groningen, Nijenborgh
4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Bert Poolman
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Systems Biology, Groningen Biomolecular
Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University
of Groningen, Nijenborgh
4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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44
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Durham J, Zhang J, Humphreys IR, Pei J, Cong Q. Recent advances in predicting and modeling protein-protein interactions. Trends Biochem Sci 2023; 48:527-538. [PMID: 37061423 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2023.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023]
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) drive biological processes, and disruption of PPIs can cause disease. With recent breakthroughs in structure prediction and a deluge of genomic sequence data, computational methods to predict PPIs and model spatial structures of protein complexes are now approaching the accuracy of experimental approaches for permanent interactions and show promise for elucidating transient interactions. As we describe here, the key to this success is rich evolutionary information deciphered from thousands of homologous sequences that coevolve in interacting partners. This covariation signal, revealed by sophisticated statistical and machine learning (ML) algorithms, predicts physiological interactions. Accurate artificial intelligence (AI)-based modeling of protein structures promises to provide accurate 3D models of PPIs at a proteome-wide scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse Durham
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Jing Zhang
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Ian R Humphreys
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jimin Pei
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Qian Cong
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
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45
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Mutsuddy A, Erdem C, Huggins JR, Salim M, Cook D, Hobbs N, Feltus FA, Birtwistle MR. Computational speed-up of large-scale, single-cell model simulations via a fully integrated SBML-based format. BIOINFORMATICS ADVANCES 2023; 3:vbad039. [PMID: 37020976 PMCID: PMC10070034 DOI: 10.1093/bioadv/vbad039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
Summary Large-scale and whole-cell modeling has multiple challenges, including scalable model building and module communication bottlenecks (e.g. between metabolism, gene expression, signaling, etc.). We previously developed an open-source, scalable format for a large-scale mechanistic model of proliferation and death signaling dynamics, but communication bottlenecks between gene expression and protein biochemistry modules remained. Here, we developed two solutions to communication bottlenecks that speed-up simulation by ∼4-fold for hybrid stochastic-deterministic simulations and by over 100-fold for fully deterministic simulations. Fully deterministic speed-up facilitates model initialization, parameter estimation and sensitivity analysis tasks. Availability and implementation Source code is freely available at https://github.com/birtwistlelab/SPARCED/releases/tag/v1.3.0 implemented in python, and supported on Linux, Windows and MacOS (via Docker).
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnab Mutsuddy
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Cemal Erdem
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Jonah R Huggins
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
- School of Computing, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | | | | | | | - F Alex Feltus
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Marc R Birtwistle
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
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46
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Gotovtsev P. Microbial Cells as a Microrobots: From Drug Delivery to Advanced Biosensors. Biomimetics (Basel) 2023; 8:biomimetics8010109. [PMID: 36975339 PMCID: PMC10046805 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics8010109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The presented review focused on the microbial cell based system. This approach is based on the application of microorganisms as the main part of a robot that is responsible for the motility, cargo shipping, and in some cases, the production of useful chemicals. Living cells in such microrobots have both advantages and disadvantages. Regarding the advantages, it is necessary to mention the motility of cells, which can be natural chemotaxis or phototaxis, depending on the organism. There are approaches to make cells magnetotactic by adding nanoparticles to their surface. Today, the results of the development of such microrobots have been widely discussed. It has been shown that there is a possibility of combining different types of taxis to enhance the control level of the microrobots based on the microorganisms' cells and the efficiency of the solving task. Another advantage is the possibility of applying the whole potential of synthetic biology to make the behavior of the cells more controllable and complex. Biosynthesis of the cargo, advanced sensing, on/off switches, and other promising approaches are discussed within the context of the application for the microrobots. Thus, a synthetic biology application offers significant perspectives on microbial cell based microrobot development. Disadvantages that follow from the nature of microbial cells such as the number of external factors influence the cells, potential immune reaction, etc. They provide several limitations in the application, but do not decrease the bright perspectives of microrobots based on the cells of the microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Gotovtsev
- National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute", Biotechnology and Bioenergy Department, Akademika Kurchatova pl. 1, 123182 Moscow, Russia
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, National Research University, 9 Institutskiy per., 141701 Moscow, Russia
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47
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Colloidal Physics Modeling Reveals How Per-Ribosome Productivity Increases with Growth Rate in Escherichia coli. mBio 2023; 14:e0286522. [PMID: 36537810 PMCID: PMC9973364 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02865-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Faster-growing cells must synthesize proteins more quickly. Increased ribosome abundance only partly accounts for increases in total protein synthesis rates. The productivity of individual ribosomes must increase too, almost doubling by an unknown mechanism. Prior models point to diffusive transport as a limiting factor but raise a paradox: faster-growing cells are more crowded, yet crowding slows diffusion. We suspected that physical crowding, transport, and stoichiometry, considered together, might reveal a more nuanced explanation. To investigate, we built a first-principles physics-based model of Escherichia coli cytoplasm in which Brownian motion and diffusion arise directly from physical interactions between individual molecules of finite size, density, and physiological abundance. Using our microscopically detailed model, we predicted that physical transport of individual ternary complexes accounts for ~80% of translation elongation latency. We also found that volumetric crowding increases during faster growth even as cytoplasmic mass density remains relatively constant. Despite slowed diffusion, we predicted that improved proximity between ternary complexes and ribosomes wins out, illustrating a simple physics-based mechanism for how individual elongating ribosomes become more productive. We speculate that crowding imposes a physical limit on growth rate and undergirds cellular behavior more broadly. Unfitted colloidal-scale modeling offers systems biology a complementary "physics engine" for exploring how cellular-scale behaviors arise from physical transport and reactions among individual molecules. IMPORTANCE Ribosomes are the factories in cells that synthesize proteins. When cells grow faster, there are not enough ribosomes to keep up with the demand for faster protein synthesis without individual ribosomes becoming more productive. Yet, faster-growing cells are more crowded, seemingly making it harder for each ribosome to do its work. Our computational model of the physics of translation elongation reveals the underlying mechanism for how individual ribosomes become more productive: proximity and stoichiometry of translation molecules overcome crowding. Our model also suggests a universal physical limitation of cell growth rates.
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48
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Zhang H, Xiong Y, Xiao W, Wu Y. Investigation of Genome Biology by Synthetic Genome Engineering. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:271. [PMID: 36829765 PMCID: PMC9952402 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10020271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic genomes were designed based on an understanding of natural genomic information, offering an opportunity to engineer and investigate biological systems on a genome-wide scale. Currently, the designer version of the M. mycoides genome and the E. coli genome, as well as most of the S. cerevisiae genome, have been synthesized, and through the cycles of design-build-test and the following engineering of synthetic genomes, many fundamental questions of genome biology have been investigated. In this review, we summarize the use of synthetic genome engineering to explore the structure and function of genomes, and highlight the unique values of synthetic genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhang
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yao Xiong
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Wenhai Xiao
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yi Wu
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
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49
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Martin HG, Radivojevic T, Zucker J, Bouchard K, Sustarich J, Peisert S, Arnold D, Hillson N, Babnigg G, Marti JM, Mungall CJ, Beckham GT, Waldburger L, Carothers J, Sundaram S, Agarwal D, Simmons BA, Backman T, Banerjee D, Tanjore D, Ramakrishnan L, Singh A. Perspectives for self-driving labs in synthetic biology. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2023; 79:102881. [PMID: 36603501 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Self-driving labs (SDLs) combine fully automated experiments with artificial intelligence (AI) that decides the next set of experiments. Taken to their ultimate expression, SDLs could usher a new paradigm of scientific research, where the world is probed, interpreted, and explained by machines for human benefit. While there are functioning SDLs in the fields of chemistry and materials science, we contend that synthetic biology provides a unique opportunity since the genome provides a single target for affecting the incredibly wide repertoire of biological cell behavior. However, the level of investment required for the creation of biological SDLs is only warranted if directed toward solving difficult and enabling biological questions. Here, we discuss challenges and opportunities in creating SDLs for synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hector G Martin
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Berkeley, CA, United States; Department of Energy, Agile BioFoundry, Emeryville, CA, United States; Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, United States; BCAM, Basque Center for Applied Mathematics, Bilbao, Spain.
| | - Tijana Radivojevic
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Berkeley, CA, United States; Department of Energy, Agile BioFoundry, Emeryville, CA, United States; Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, United States
| | - Jeremy Zucker
- Earth and Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratories, Richland, WA, United States
| | - Kristofer Bouchard
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Berkeley, CA, United States; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Scientific Data Division, Berkeley, CA, United States; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Jess Sustarich
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, United States; Biomaterials and Biomanufacturing Division, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA, United States
| | - Sean Peisert
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Scientific Data Division, Berkeley, CA, United States; University of California, Davis, Department of Computer Science, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Dan Arnold
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Energy Storage and Distributed Resources Division, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Nathan Hillson
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Berkeley, CA, United States; Department of Energy, Agile BioFoundry, Emeryville, CA, United States; Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, United States
| | - Gyorgy Babnigg
- Department of Energy, Agile BioFoundry, Emeryville, CA, United States; Biosciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, United States
| | - Jose M Marti
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Berkeley, CA, United States; Department of Energy, Agile BioFoundry, Emeryville, CA, United States; Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, United States; Global Security Computing Applications Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, United States
| | - Christopher J Mungall
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Gregg T Beckham
- Department of Energy, Agile BioFoundry, Emeryville, CA, United States; Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, United States
| | - Lucas Waldburger
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - James Carothers
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - ShivShankar Sundaram
- Engineering Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, United States; Center for Bioengineering, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, United States
| | - Deb Agarwal
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Scientific Data Division, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Blake A Simmons
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Berkeley, CA, United States; Department of Energy, Agile BioFoundry, Emeryville, CA, United States; Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, United States
| | - Tyler Backman
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Berkeley, CA, United States; Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, United States
| | - Deepanwita Banerjee
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Berkeley, CA, United States; Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, United States
| | - Deepti Tanjore
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Berkeley, CA, United States; Department of Energy, Agile BioFoundry, Emeryville, CA, United States; Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts Process Development Unit, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Lavanya Ramakrishnan
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Scientific Data Division, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Anup Singh
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, United States; Engineering Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, United States
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50
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Portillo-Ledesma S, Li Z, Schlick T. Genome modeling: From chromatin fibers to genes. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2023; 78:102506. [PMID: 36577295 PMCID: PMC9908845 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2022.102506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The intricacies of the 3D hierarchical organization of the genome have been approached by many creative modeling studies. The specific model/simulation technique combination defines and restricts the system and phenomena that can be investigated. We present the latest modeling developments and studies of the genome, involving models ranging from nucleosome systems and small polynucleosome arrays to chromatin fibers in the kb-range, chromosomes, and whole genomes, while emphasizing gene folding from first principles. Clever combinations allow the exploration of many interesting phenomena involved in gene regulation, such as nucleosome structure and dynamics, nucleosome-nucleosome stacking, polynucleosome array folding, protein regulation of chromatin architecture, mechanisms of gene folding, loop formation, compartmentalization, and structural transitions at the chromosome and genome levels. Gene-level modeling with full details on nucleosome positions, epigenetic factors, and protein binding, in particular, can in principle be scaled up to model chromosomes and cells to study fundamental biological regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Portillo-Ledesma
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, Silver Building, New York, 10003, NY, USA
| | - Zilong Li
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, Silver Building, New York, 10003, NY, USA
| | - Tamar Schlick
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, Silver Building, New York, 10003, NY, USA; Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, 251 Mercer St., New York, 10012, NY, USA; New York University-East China Normal University Center for Computational Chemistry, New York University Shanghai, Room 340, Geography Building, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, 200122, China; Simons Center for Computational Physical Chemistry, 24 Waverly Place, Silver Building, New York University, New York, 10003, NY, USA.
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