Team:NCTU Formosa

Concept

Abstract

As one of the main challenges of in vivo experiments is controlling the flux through a synthetic metabolic pathway, it’s design lies in selecting well-matched genetic components that when coupled, can reliably produce the desired behavior. Although model equations can calculate parameter values, a challenge still remains in selecting the bio-bricks that can reliably implement a desired cellular function with quantitative values. In previous studies, synthetic biologists have created numerous synthetic circuits; each generating different protein expression levels in order to test performance in reliability and consistency, but this process is both tedious and time consuming. To overcome this problem, our team designed a novel circuit design: method_ Pathway Commander. By this design method, we construct a single version of a synthetic metabolic pathway circuit that can use culture temperature shifts to control the expression levels of a series of metabolic proteins at the precise times. We have implemented the Pathway_Commander design in (1) Carotenoid synthesis Pathway, (2) Violacein biosynthesis pathways and (3) Butanol synthesis pathway in E. coli. This circuit design utilizes a temperature controlled system that gives precision control over metabolic protein expression which amounts to optimal synthesis that can maximize synthesis of a given compound or drug.