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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{de:2020:10.1111/mmi.14406,
author = {de, Martín Garrido N and Crone, MA and Ramlaul, K and Simpson, PA and Freemont, PS and Aylett, CHS},
doi = {10.1111/mmi.14406},
journal = {Molecular Microbiology},
pages = {143--152},
title = {Bacteriophage MS2 displays unreported capsid variability assembling T = 4 and mixed capsids},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mmi.14406},
volume = {113},
year = {2020}
}

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RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Bacteriophage MS2 is a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus encapsulated in an asymmetric T = 3 pseudo-icosahedral capsid. It infects Escherichia coli through the F-pilus, which it binds through a maturation protein incorporated into its capsid. Cryogenic electron microscopy has previously shown that its genome is highly ordered within virions, and that it regulates the assembly process of the capsid. In this study we have assembled recombinant MS2 capsids with non-genomic RNA containing the capsid incorporation sequence, and investigated the structures formed, revealing that T = 3, T = 4 and mixed capsids between these two triangulation numbers are generated, and resolving structures of T = 3 and T = 4 capsids to 4 Å and 6 Å respectively. We conclude that the basic MS2 capsid can form a mix of T = 3 and T = 4 structures, supporting a role for the ordered genome in favouring the formation of functional T = 3 virions.
AU  - de,Martín Garrido N
AU  - Crone,MA
AU  - Ramlaul,K
AU  - Simpson,PA
AU  - Freemont,PS
AU  - Aylett,CHS
DO  - 10.1111/mmi.14406
EP  - 152
PY  - 2020///
SN  - 0950-382X
SP  - 143
TI  - Bacteriophage MS2 displays unreported capsid variability assembling T = 4 and mixed capsids
T2  - Molecular Microbiology
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mmi.14406
UR  - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31618483
UR  - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/mmi.14406
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/74539
VL  - 113
ER  -