Background: Synthetic biology aims to engineer biological systems for desired behaviors. The construction of these systems can be complex, often requiring genetic reprogramming, extensive de novo DNA synthesis, and functional screening.
Results: Herein, we present a programmable, multipurpose microfluidic platform and associated software and apply the platform to major steps of the synthetic biology research cycle: design, construction, testing, and analysis. We show the platform's capabilities for multiple automated DNA assembly methods, including a new method for Isothermal Hierarchical DNA Construction, and for Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae transformation. The platform enables the automated control of cellular growth, gene expression induction, and proteogenic and metabolic output analysis.
Conclusions: Taken together, we demonstrate the microfluidic platform's potential to provide end-to-end solutions for synthetic biology research, from design to functional analysis.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13036-016-0024-5 | DOI Listing |
Curr Top Med Chem
January 2025
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research (JSS AHER), Mysuru, Karnataka, India.
Background: Several chemical studies described the physiological efficacy of 1,4- dihydropyridines (DHPs). DHPs bind to specific sites on the α1 subunit of L-type calcium channels, where they demonstrate a more pronounced inhibition of Ca2+ influx in vascular smooth muscle compared to myocardial tissue. This selective inhibition is the basis for their preferential vasodilatory action on peripheral and coronary arteries, a characteristic that underlies their therapeutic utility in managing hypertension and angina.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAppl Microbiol Biotechnol
January 2025
Department of Ultrasound Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University, No.569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an, 710038, Shaanxi, China.
Bacteria-based tumor therapy, which releases therapeutic payloads or remodels the tumor's immune-suppressive microenvironment and directly kills tumor cells or initiates an anti-tumor immune response, is recently recognized as a promising strategy. Bacteria could be endowed with the capacities of tumor targeting, tumor cell killing, and anti-tumor immune activating by established gene engineering. Furthermore, the integration of synthetic biology and nanomedicine into these engineered bacteria could further enhance their efficacy and controllability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Synth Biol
January 2025
Centre for Engineering Biology, Institute of Quantitative Biology, Biochemistry and Biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FF, U.K.
The "Protein synthesis Using Recombinant Elements" ("PURE") system is a minimal biochemical system capable of carrying out cell-free protein synthesis using defined enzymatic components. This study extends PURE by integrating an ATP regeneration system based on pyruvate oxidase, acetate kinase, and catalase. The new pathway generates acetyl phosphate from pyruvate, phosphate, and oxygen, which is used to rephosphorylate ATP .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Synth Biol
January 2025
Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT─The Arctic University of Norway, 9019 Tromsø, Norway.
The choice of organism to host a genetic circuit, the chassis, is often defaulted to model organisms due to their amenability. The chassis-design space has therefore remained underexplored as an engineering variable. In this work, we explored the design space of a genetic toggle switch through variations in nine ribosome binding site compositions and three host contexts, creating 27 circuit variants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Neurochem
January 2025
FMUC-Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
Astrocytes participate in brain clearance of extracellular proteins and metabolites, through the activity of the water channel aquaporin-4 (AQP4), which can be deregulated in stress-related disorders, impairing brain waste clearance. The present study investigates the impact of dexamethasone (Dexa), a synthetic glucocorticoid used as a simplified in vitro stress model, on astrocytic AQP4 and its modulation by adenosine A receptors (AR), which blockade reverses conditions related with maladaptive stress, such as anxiety and depression. The clearance of proteins in primary astrocytic cultures, assessed using 5 kDa FITC-dextran and 45 kDa TRITC-dextran uptake, was decreased by a 24 h exposure to 100 nM Dexa.
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