1
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Nguyen MTA, Andersen ES, Pothoulakis G. Construction of Small Genes with Repetitive Elements Using Oligo Extension and Golden Gate Assembly. Methods Mol Biol 2025; 2850:219-227. [PMID: 39363074 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-4220-7_12] [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: 10/05/2024]
Abstract
Gene synthesis efficiency has greatly improved in recent years but is limited when it comes to repetitive sequences and results in synthesis failure or delays by DNA synthesis vendors. Here, we describe a method for the assembly of small synthetic genes with repetitive elements: First, a gene of interest is split in silico into small synthons of up to 80 base pairs flanked by Golden Gate-compatible overhangs. Then synthons are made by oligo extension and finally assembled into a synthetic gene by Golden Gate assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael T A Nguyen
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Ebbe Sloth Andersen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Georgios Pothoulakis
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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2
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Yang X, Wang H, Ding D, Fang H, Dong H, Zhang D. A hybrid RNA-protein biosensor for high-throughput screening of adenosylcobalamin biosynthesis. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2024; 9:513-521. [PMID: 38680948 PMCID: PMC11047186 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2024.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Genetically encoded circuits have been successfully utilized to assess and characterize target variants with desirable traits from large mutant libraries. Adenosylcobalamin is an essential coenzyme that is required in many intracellular physiological reactions and is widely used in the pharmaceutical and food industries. High-throughput screening techniques capable of detecting adenosylcobalamin productivity and selecting superior adenosylcobalamin biosynthesis strains are critical for the creation of an effective microbial cell factory for the production of adenosylcobalamin at an industrial level. In this study, we developed an RNA-protein hybrid biosensor whose input part was an endogenous RNA riboswitch to specifically respond to adenosylcobalamin, the inverter part was an orthogonal transcriptional repressor to obtain signal inversion, and the output part was a fluorescent protein to be easily detected. The hybrid biosensor could specifically and positively correlate adenosylcobalamin concentrations to green fluorescent protein expression levels in vivo. This study also improved the operating concentration and dynamic range of the hybrid biosensor by systematic optimization. An individual cell harboring the hybrid biosensor presented over 20-fold higher fluorescence intensity than the negative control. Then, using such a biosensor combined with fluorescence-activated cell sorting, we established a high-throughput screening platform for screening adenosylcobalamin overproducers. This study demonstrates that this platform has significant potential to quickly isolate high-productive strains to meet industrial demand and that the framework is acceptable for various metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Yang
- College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, Hubei, 443002, China
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin,300308, China
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Huiying Wang
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin,300308, China
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Dongqin Ding
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin,300308, China
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Huan Fang
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin,300308, China
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Huina Dong
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin,300308, China
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Dawei Zhang
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin,300308, China
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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3
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Nguyen MTA, Gobry MV, Sampedro Vallina N, Pothoulakis G, Andersen ES. Enzymatic Assembly of Small Synthetic Genes with Repetitive Elements. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:963-968. [PMID: 38437525 PMCID: PMC10949351 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00665] [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: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
Gene synthesis efficiency has greatly improved in recent years but is limited when it comes to repetitive sequences, which results in synthesis failure or delays by DNA synthesis vendors. This represents a major obstacle for the development of synthetic biology since repetitive elements are increasingly being used in the design of genetic circuits and design of biomolecular nanostructures. Here, we describe a method for the assembly of small synthetic genes with repetitive elements: First, a gene of interest is split in silico into small synthons of up to 80 base pairs flanked by Golden-Gate-compatible overhangs. Then, synthons are made by oligo extension and finally assembled into a synthetic gene by Golden Gate Assembly. We demonstrate the method by constructing eight challenging genes with repetitive elements, e.g., multiple repeats of RNA aptamers and RNA origami scaffolds with multiple identical aptamers. The genes range in size from 133 to 456 base pairs and are assembled with fidelities of up to 87.5%. The method was developed to facilitate our own specific research but may be of general use for constructing challenging and repetitive genes and, thus, a valuable addition to the molecular cloning toolbox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael T. A. Nguyen
- Interdisciplinary
Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Martin Vincent Gobry
- Interdisciplinary
Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Néstor Sampedro Vallina
- Interdisciplinary
Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Georgios Pothoulakis
- Interdisciplinary
Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ebbe Sloth Andersen
- Interdisciplinary
Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Department
of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus
University, Gustav Wieds
Vej 14, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark
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4
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Chlebek JL, Leonard SP, Kang-Yun C, Yung MC, Ricci DP, Jiao Y, Park DM. Prolonging genetic circuit stability through adaptive evolution of overlapping genes. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:7094-7108. [PMID: 37260076 PMCID: PMC10359631 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of synthetic biological circuits that maintain functionality over application-relevant time scales remains a significant challenge. Here, we employed synthetic overlapping sequences in which one gene is encoded or 'entangled' entirely within an alternative reading frame of another gene. In this design, the toxin-encoding relE was entangled within ilvA, which encodes threonine deaminase, an enzyme essential for isoleucine biosynthesis. A functional entanglement construct was obtained upon modification of the ribosome-binding site of the internal relE gene. Using this optimized design, we found that the selection pressure to maintain functional IlvA stabilized the production of burdensome RelE for >130 generations, which compares favorably with the most stable kill-switch circuits developed to date. This stabilizing effect was achieved through a complete alteration of the allowable landscape of mutations such that mutations inactivating the entangled genes were disfavored. Instead, the majority of lineages accumulated mutations within the regulatory region of ilvA. By reducing baseline relE expression, these more 'benign' mutations lowered circuit burden, which suppressed the accumulation of relE-inactivating mutations, thereby prolonging kill-switch function. Overall, this work demonstrates the utility of sequence entanglement paired with an adaptive laboratory evolution campaign to increase the evolutionary stability of burdensome synthetic circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Chlebek
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
| | - Sean P Leonard
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
| | - Christina Kang-Yun
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
| | - Mimi C Yung
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
| | - Dante P Ricci
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
| | - Yongqin Jiao
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
| | - Dan M Park
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
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5
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Wilkes RA, Waldbauer J, Carroll A, Nieto-Domínguez M, Parker DJ, Zhang L, Guss AM, Aristilde L. Complex regulation in a Comamonas platform for diverse aromatic carbon metabolism. Nat Chem Biol 2023; 19:651-662. [PMID: 36747056 PMCID: PMC10154247 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-01237-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Critical to a sustainable energy future are microbial platforms that can process aromatic carbons from the largely untapped reservoir of lignin and plastic feedstocks. Comamonas species present promising bacterial candidates for such platforms because they can use a range of natural and xenobiotic aromatic compounds and often possess innate genetic constraints that avoid competition with sugars. However, the metabolic reactions of these species are underexplored, and the regulatory mechanisms are unknown. Here we identify multilevel regulation in the conversion of lignin-related natural aromatic compounds, 4-hydroxybenzoate and vanillate, and the plastics-related xenobiotic aromatic compound, terephthalate, in Comamonas testosteroni KF-1. Transcription-level regulation controls initial catabolism and cleavage, but metabolite-level thermodynamic regulation governs fluxes in central carbon metabolism. Quantitative 13C mapping of tricarboxylic acid cycle and cataplerotic reactions elucidates key carbon routing not evident from enzyme abundance changes. This scheme of transcriptional activation coupled with metabolic fine-tuning challenges outcome predictions during metabolic manipulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A Wilkes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Jacob Waldbauer
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Austin Carroll
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Manuel Nieto-Domínguez
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Darren J Parker
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Lichun Zhang
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Adam M Guss
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Ludmilla Aristilde
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
- Northwestern Center for Synthetic Biology, Evanston, IL, USA.
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6
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Das M, Hossain A, Banerjee D, Praul CA, Girirajan S. Challenges and considerations for reproducibility of STARR-seq assays. Genome Res 2023; 33:479-495. [PMID: 37130797 PMCID: PMC10234304 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277204.122] [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: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
High-throughput methods such as RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, and ATAC-seq have well-established guidelines, commercial kits, and analysis pipelines that enable consistency and wider adoption for understanding genome function and regulation. STARR-seq, a popular assay for directly quantifying the activities of thousands of enhancer sequences simultaneously, has seen limited standardization across studies. The assay is long, with more than 250 steps, and frequent customization of the protocol and variations in bioinformatics methods raise concerns for reproducibility of STARR-seq studies. Here, we assess each step of the protocol and analysis pipelines from published sources and in-house assays, and identify critical steps and quality control (QC) checkpoints necessary for reproducibility of the assay. We also provide guidelines for experimental design, protocol scaling, customization, and analysis pipelines for better adoption of the assay. These resources will allow better optimization of STARR-seq for specific research needs, enable comparisons and integration across studies, and improve the reproducibility of results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maitreya Das
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA;
- Molecular and Cellular Integrative Biosciences Graduate Program, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Ayaan Hossain
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Graduate Program, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Deepro Banerjee
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Graduate Program, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Craig Alan Praul
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Santhosh Girirajan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA;
- Molecular and Cellular Integrative Biosciences Graduate Program, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Graduate Program, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
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7
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Caringella G, Bandiera L, Menolascina F. Recent advances, opportunities and challenges in cybergenetic identification and control of biomolecular networks. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2023; 80:102893. [PMID: 36706519 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2023.102893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Cybergenetics is a new area of research aimed at developing digital and biological controllers for living systems. Synthetic biologists have begun exploiting cybergenetic tools and platforms to both accelerate the development of mathematical models and develop control strategies for complex biological phenomena. Here, we review the state of the art in cybergenetic identification and control. Our aim is to lower the entry barrier to this field and foster the adoption of methods and technologies that will accelerate the pace at which Synthetic Biology progresses toward applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianpio Caringella
- School of Engineering, Institute for Bioengineering, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3DW, UK
| | - Lucia Bandiera
- School of Engineering, Institute for Bioengineering, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3DW, UK; Centre for Engineering Biology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Filippo Menolascina
- School of Engineering, Institute for Bioengineering, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3DW, UK; Centre for Engineering Biology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK.
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8
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Zheng Y, Song K, Xie ZX, Han MZ, Guo F, Yuan YJ. Machine learning-aided scoring of synthesis difficulties for designer chromosomes. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2023:10.1007/s11427-023-2306-x. [PMID: 36881317 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-023-2306-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Designer chromosomes are artificially synthesized chromosomes. Nowadays, these chromosomes have numerous applications ranging from medical research to the development of biofuels. However, some chromosome fragments can interfere with the chemical synthesis of designer chromosomes and eventually limit the widespread use of this technology. To address this issue, this study aimed to develop an interpretable machine learning framework to predict and quantify the synthesis difficulties of designer chromosomes in advance. Through the use of this framework, six key sequence features leading to synthesis difficulties were identified, and an eXtreme Gradient Boosting model was established to integrate these features. The predictive model achieved high-quality performance with an AUC of 0.895 in cross-validation and an AUC of 0.885 on an independent test set. Based on these results, the synthesis difficulty index (S-index) was proposed as a means of scoring and interpreting synthesis difficulties of chromosomes from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. The findings of this study emphasize the significant variability in synthesis difficulties between chromosomes and demonstrate the potential of the proposed model to predict and mitigate these difficulties through the optimization of the synthesis process and genome rewriting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zheng
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.,School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Kai Song
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.,School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Ze-Xiong Xie
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.,School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Ming-Zhe Han
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.,School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Fei Guo
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China. .,School of Computer Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, China.
| | - Ying-Jin Yuan
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China. .,School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.
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9
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Carbonell P, Le Feuvre R, Takano E, Scrutton NS. In silico design and automated learning to boost next-generation smart biomanufacturing. Synth Biol (Oxf) 2020; 5:ysaa020. [PMID: 33344778 PMCID: PMC7737007 DOI: 10.1093/synbio/ysaa020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The increasing demand for bio-based compounds produced from waste or sustainable sources is driving biofoundries to deliver a new generation of prototyping biomanufacturing platforms. Integration and automation of the design, build, test and learn (DBTL) steps in centers like SYNBIOCHEM in Manchester and across the globe (Global Biofoundries Alliance) are helping to reduce the delivery time from initial strain screening and prototyping towards industrial production. Notably, a portfolio of producer strains for a suite of material monomers was recently developed, some approaching industrial titers, in a tour de force by the Manchester Centre that was achieved in less than 90 days. New in silico design tools are providing significant contributions to the front end of the DBTL pipelines. At the same time, the far-reaching initiatives of modern biofoundries are generating a large amount of high-dimensional data and knowledge that can be integrated through automated learning to expedite the DBTL cycle. In this Perspective, the new design tools and the role of the learning component as an enabling technology for the next generation of automated biofoundries are discussed. Future biofoundries will operate under completely automated DBTL cycles driven by in silico optimal experimental planning, full biomanufacturing devices connectivity, virtualization platforms and cloud-based design. The automated generation of robotic build worklists and the integration of machine-learning algorithms will collectively allow high levels of adaptability and rapid design changes toward fully automated smart biomanufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Carbonell
- Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre for Fine and Speciality Chemicals (SYNBIOCHEM) and Future Biomanufacturing Research Hub, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7DN, UK.,Instituto Universitario de Automática e Informática Industrial, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - Rosalind Le Feuvre
- Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre for Fine and Speciality Chemicals (SYNBIOCHEM) and Future Biomanufacturing Research Hub, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7DN, UK
| | - Eriko Takano
- Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre for Fine and Speciality Chemicals (SYNBIOCHEM) and Future Biomanufacturing Research Hub, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7DN, UK
| | - Nigel S Scrutton
- Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre for Fine and Speciality Chemicals (SYNBIOCHEM) and Future Biomanufacturing Research Hub, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7DN, UK
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10
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Doçi G, Fuchs L, Kharbanda Y, Schickling P, Zulkower V, Hillson N, Oberortner E, Swainston N, Kabisch J. DNA Scanner: a web application for comparing DNA synthesis feasibility, price and turnaround time across vendors. Synth Biol (Oxf) 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/synbio/ysaa011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
DNA synthesis has become a major enabler of modern bioengineering, allowing scientists to simply order online in silico-designed DNA molecules. Rapidly decreasing DNA synthesis service prices and the concomitant increase of research and development scales bolstered by computer-aided DNA design tools and laboratory automation has driven up the demand for synthetic DNA. While vendors provide user-friendly online portals for purchasing synthetic DNA, customers still face the time-consuming task of checking each vendor of choice for their ability and pricing to synthesize the desired sequences. As a result, ordering large batches of DNA sequences can be a laborious manual procedure in an otherwise increasingly automatable workflow. Even when they are available, there is a high degree of technical knowledge and effort required to integrate vendors’ application programming interfaces (APIs) into computer-aided DNA design tools or automated lab processes. Here, we introduce DNA Scanner, a software package comprising (i) a web-based user interface enabling users to compare the feasibility, price and turnaround time of synthetic DNA sequences across selected vendors and (ii) a Python API enabling integration of these functionalities into computer-aided DNA design tools and automated lab processes. We have developed DNA Scanner to uniformly streamline interactions between synthetic DNA vendors, members of the Global Biofoundry Alliance and the scientific community at large.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gledon Doçi
- Department of Computer Science, Technical University Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Lukas Fuchs
- Department of Computer Science, Technical University Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Yash Kharbanda
- Department of Computer Science, Technical University Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Paul Schickling
- Department of Computer Science, Technical University Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Valentin Zulkower
- Edinburgh Genome Foundry, SynthSys, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, Edinburgh, UK
- Software Working Group, Global Biofoundries Alliance
| | - Nathan Hillson
- Software Working Group, Global Biofoundries Alliance
- DOE Agile BioFoundry, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Ernst Oberortner
- Software Working Group, Global Biofoundries Alliance
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Divisions, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Neil Swainston
- Software Working Group, Global Biofoundries Alliance
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Johannes Kabisch
- Software Working Group, Global Biofoundries Alliance
- Computer-aided Synthetic Biology, Technical University Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
- Centre for Synthetic Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
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