Synthetic Biology: Digital Design of Living Systems
Recent advances in synthetic biology allow for the digital design of living systems at an unprecedented scale and rate. ETH Zurich hosts this symposium at the AAAS 2020 in Seattle, Washington, USA to address the benefits, social and ethical implications of computational biosystems design technologies.
Synthetic biology serves as a multidisciplinary bridge leveraging engineering principles to design artificial biological systems. Much like a sophisticated high-speed computing system, protein machines within a cell come with their own code written into the linear DNA sequences of genes and genomes. According to universal rules, genes encode specific biological and chemical functions that serve as the molecular building blocks of living organisms. Synthetic biologists research how to engineer biological functions and cells from scratch and understand the code of life at the molecular level. Using computational design processes and engineering principles, they build artificial proteins, pathways and entire cells to perform useful functions, designing novel living systems.
This session explores how recent advances in chemical DNA synthesis and digital design allow for the production of computer-generated biological systems at an unprecedented scale and rate. Further, development of these processes primes this field for transformative applications including construction of synthetic microorganisms for industrial and medical use. Presenters will discuss the benefits, social and ethical implications, and the need for responsible governance of computational biosystems design technologies.
Join us!
Friday, February 14, 2020
3:30 - 5:00 PM
Room 6A
Washington State Convention Center
705 Pike Street
Seattle, WA, 98101 USA
Computer-Generated Genomes
The chemical synthesis of artificial genomes holds transformative potential for biology, medicine, and chemistry. However, understanding how to program biological functions into artificial DNA sequences remains a key challenge in synthetic genomics. Find out how DNA design algorithms, facilitate the synthesis of computer-generated genomes, and how the rewriting of genomes provides new insight into the fundamental functions of a bacterial cell.
Beat Christen, PhD, Professor of Experimental Systems Biology, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Christen Lab, Institute of Molecular Systems Biology at ETH Zurich
Designer Proteins
Learn how algorithmic processes such as de novo design, predict protein structures, protein folding mechanisms, and new protein functions. Computational protein design methods can create artificial proteins with novel folds using iterative structure prediction and experimental structure characterization. These results suggest that new proteins can be computationally designed with an atomic-level of accuracy. Computation also enables designer proteins with novel functions.
Risk Regulation, Uncertainty, and Ethics
Synthetic biology aims to re-engineer biological components and requires a framework of adaptive governance. Within such a framework, it is vital to achieve an equitable balance between promoting innovation and ensuring safety. Focusing on how governance systems and the perspectives of different stakeholder groups affect innovation trajectories, the session offers insight on how to improve risk management, upstream engagement, and responsibly develop a bio-economy to address global challenges.
external page Joyce Tait, PhD, Professor and Director Innogen Institute, University of Edinburgh, UK
ETH Zurich's presence at the AAAS 2020
external page Symposium - Synthetic Biology: Digital Design of Living Systems
Friday, February 14, 2020
3:30 - 5:00 PM
Room 6A