Rapid-Response Synthetic Biology Apparatuses
MIT scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of synthetic biology, developing an alternative approach to designing cell circuits that rely on fast, reversible protein-protein interactions. This new method, led by Deepak Mishra, a research associate in MIT's Department of Biological Engineering, allows circuits to be turned on much faster than traditional methods, within seconds.
The circuit, composed of a network of 14 proteins from various species, including yeast, bacteria, plants, and humans, is designed as a toggle switch. This design allows it to quickly and reversibly switch between two stable states, enabling it to "remember" specific events such as exposure to a certain chemical.
In this case, the target is sorbitol, a sugar alcohol found in many fruits. Once sorbitol is detected, the cell stores a memory of the exposure in the form of a fluorescent protein localized in the nucleus. This could potentially involve an electronic device that would alert the patient or doctor. The electronic device could also have reservoirs of chemicals that could counteract a shock to the system.
The research, published in the journal Science, also uncovered six naturally occurring, complicated toggle networks in yeast that had never been seen before. These newly discovered networks could pave the way for the development of sensors for detecting environmental pollutants.
The study was funded by various grants, including the Siebel Scholars Award, Eni-MIT Energy Research Fellowship, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies through the U.S. Army Research Office, a SynBERC grant from the National Science Foundation, and the Center for Integrated Synthetic Biology through the National Institutes of Health.
The researchers envision using their protein-based circuits for a variety of applications, such as creating environmental sensors or diagnostics that could reveal disease states or imminent events like a heart attack. They also hope to deploy custom networks within mammalian cells for diagnostic purposes within the human body.
Another potential application is reporting drug overdoses or an imminent heart attack. The circuit can also be reset by exposing it to a different molecule, in this case, isopentenyl adenine.
The research was led by Luís A. N. Amaral and his research team; however, the exact universities of the authors are not specified in the available search results.
This innovative work in synthetic biology could revolutionize the way we approach environmental sensing, diagnostics, and even disease prevention. With further research and development, these protein-based circuits could play a crucial role in improving our understanding and response to various health and environmental challenges.
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