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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{Storch:2016:10.1007/978-1-4939-6343-0_6,
author = {Storch, M and Casini, A and Mackrow, B and Ellis, T and Baldwin, GS},
doi = {10.1007/978-1-4939-6343-0_6},
journal = {Methods Mol Biol},
pages = {79--91},
title = {BASIC: A Simple and Accurate Modular DNA Assembly Method.},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6343-0_6},
volume = {1472},
year = {2016}
}

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RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY - JOUR
AB - Biopart Assembly Standard for Idempotent Cloning (BASIC) is a simple, accurate, and robust DNA assembly method. The method is based on linker-mediated DNA assembly and provides highly accurate DNA assembly with 99 % correct assemblies for four parts and 90 % correct assemblies for seven parts [1]. The BASIC standard defines a single entry vector for all parts flanked by the same prefix and suffix sequences and its idempotent nature means that the assembled construct is returned in the same format. Once a part has been adapted into the BASIC format it can be placed at any position within a BASIC assembly without the need for reformatting. This allows laboratories to grow comprehensive and universal part libraries and to share them efficiently. The modularity within the BASIC framework is further extended by the possibility of encoding ribosomal binding sites (RBS) and peptide linker sequences directly on the linkers used for assembly. This makes BASIC a highly versatile library construction method for combinatorial part assembly including the construction of promoter, RBS, gene variant, and protein-tag libraries. In comparison with other DNA assembly standards and methods, BASIC offers a simple robust protocol; it relies on a single entry vector, provides for easy hierarchical assembly, and is highly accurate for up to seven parts per assembly round [2].
AU - Storch,M
AU - Casini,A
AU - Mackrow,B
AU - Ellis,T
AU - Baldwin,GS
DO - 10.1007/978-1-4939-6343-0_6
EP - 91
PY - 2016///
SP - 79
TI - BASIC: A Simple and Accurate Modular DNA Assembly Method.
T2 - Methods Mol Biol
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6343-0_6
UR - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27671933
VL - 1472
ER -