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Research

Biological systems - including the simplest cells - exhibit a broad range of functions to thrive in their environment. Research in the Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology is focused on the possibility of engineering the underlying biochemical processes to solve many of the challenges facing society, from healthcare to sustainable energy. In particular, we model, analyse, design and build biological and biochemical systems in living cells and/or in cell extracts, both exploring and enhancing the engineering potential of biology.

As part of our research we develop novel methods to accelerate the celebrated Design-Build-Test-Learn synthetic biology cycle. As such research in the Centre for Synthetic Biology highly multi- and interdisciplinary covering computational modelling and machine learning approaches; automated platform development and genetic circuit engineering ; multi-cellular and multi-organismal interactions, including gene drive and genome engineering; metabolic engineering; in vitro/cell-free synthetic biology; engineered phages and directed evolution; and biomimetics, biomaterials and biological engineering.

Publications

Citation

BibTex format

@article{Freemont:2019:10.1042/ETLS20190040,
author = {Freemont, P},
doi = {10.1042/ETLS20190040},
journal = {Emerging Topics in Life Sciences},
pages = {651--657},
title = {Synthetic biology industry - Data-driven design is creating new opportunities in biotechnology.},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1042/ETLS20190040},
volume = {3},
year = {2019}
}

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RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Synthetic biology is a rapidly emerging interdisciplinary research field that is primarily built upon foundational advances in molecular biology combined with engineering design. The field considers living systems as programmable at the genetic level and has been defined by the development of new platform technologies. This has spurned a rapid growth in start-up companies and the new synthetic biology industry is growing rapidly, with start-up companies receiving ~$6.1B investment since 2015 and a global synthetic biology market value estimated to be $14B by 2026. Many of the new start-upscan be grouped within a multi-layer ‘technology stack’. The ‘stack’ comprises a number of technology layers which together can be applied to a diversity of new biotechnology applications like consumer biotechnology products and living therapies. The ‘stack’ also enables new commercial opportunities and value chains similar to the software design and manufacturing revolution of the 20th century. However, synthetic biology industry is at a crucial point, as it now requires recognisable commercial successes in order for the industry to expand and scale, in terms of investment and companies. However, such expansion may directly challenge the ethos of synthetic biology, in terms of open technology sharing and democratisation, which could by accident lead to multi-national corporations and technology monopolies similar to the existing biotechnology/biopharma industry.
AU  - Freemont,P
DO  - 10.1042/ETLS20190040
EP  - 657
PY  - 2019///
SN  - 2397-8554
SP  - 651
TI  - Synthetic biology industry - Data-driven design is creating new opportunities in biotechnology.
T2  - Emerging Topics in Life Sciences
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1042/ETLS20190040
UR  - https://portlandpress.com/emergtoplifesci/article/3/5/651/220699/Synthetic-biology-industry-datadriven-design-is
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/73293
VL  - 3
ER  -

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