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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{Hindley:2018:10.1038/s41467-018-03491-7,
author = {Hindley, JW and Elani, Y and McGilvery, CM and Ali, S and Bevan, CL and Law, R and Ces, O},
doi = {10.1038/s41467-018-03491-7},
journal = {Nature Communications},
pages = {1--6},
title = {Light-triggered enzymatic reactions in nested vesicle reactors},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03491-7},
volume = {9},
year = {2018}
}

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RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Cell-sized vesicles have tremendous potential both as miniaturised pL reaction vessels and in bottom-up synthetic biology as chassis for artificial cells. In both these areas the introduction of light-responsive modules affords increased functionality, for example, to initiate enzymatic reactions in the vesicle interior with spatiotemporal control. Here we report a system composed of nested vesicles where the inner compartments act as phototransducers, responding to ultraviolet irradiation through diacetylene polymerisation-induced pore formation to initiate enzymatic reactions. The controlled release and hydrolysis of a fluorogenic β-galactosidase substrate in the external compartment is demonstrated, where the rate of reaction can be modulated by varying ultraviolet exposure time. Such cell-like nested microreactor structures could be utilised in fields from biocatalysis through to drug delivery.
AU  - Hindley,JW
AU  - Elani,Y
AU  - McGilvery,CM
AU  - Ali,S
AU  - Bevan,CL
AU  - Law,R
AU  - Ces,O
DO  - 10.1038/s41467-018-03491-7
EP  - 6
PY  - 2018///
SN  - 2041-1723
SP  - 1
TI  - Light-triggered enzymatic reactions in nested vesicle reactors
T2  - Nature Communications
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03491-7
UR  - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-03491-7
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/56705
VL  - 9
ER  -