Research Group Overview

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The Synthetic Biology Group 

The Synthetic Biology Group at VBI streamlines the design and fabrication of artificial gene networks. Computer-assisted design of genetic systems is poised to bring significant benefits to the biomedical community and the biotechnology industry. However, the lack of calibrated genetic parts remains a major limitation. The Synthetic Biology Group develops software, computational tools and high throughput imaging systems that allow researchers to take full advantage of calibrated genetic components and the potential of synthetic biology.

Research group members:

Research collaborators:

GenoCAD (website)

The Synthetic Biology Group is developing software tools that can guide users through the design of new DNA molecules or help them verify previously designed molecules. GenoCAD is a software tool currently under development to allow the non-specialist to design and validate large-scale genetic systems for use in basic biological research or product development programs. The workflow developed by the electronics industry has been extremely successfully in automating the design and fabrication of electronic circuits. GenoCAD applies the same workflow process to the design and assembly of large-scale integrated genetic systems. GenoCAD embraces the development of the molecular tools, algorithms, and software applications that will make the computer-assisted design and fabrication of genetic systems possible.

Imaging technologies

The group is developing a high-throughput live-cell imaging system that will allow researchers to characterize the noisy dynamics of natural and synthetic gene networks. Since no commercial instrument meets the requirements of this approach, the Synthetic Biology Group has initiated the development of a customized microscope. This approach will complement the current use of flow cytometry and conventional fluorescence microscope to characterize genetic parts for synthetic biology applications. The availability of new high throughput imaging systems will greatly assist potential users of gene synthesis services in the design of their constructs.

iGEM

The Synthetic Biology Group at VBI participates in the International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) competition, an annual event organized by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that gives undergraduate students the opportunity to design and build an engineered biological system using standard DNA parts. The 2007 Virginia Tech iGEM team is engineering a biological system that comprises Escherichia coli and bacteriophage lambda to understand what happens from the outset of a disease epidemic. The goal is to create a population interaction model that predicts the spread of infection between populations.

Patents

Peccoud J, Cai Y (October 2, 2008) Software for design and verification of synthetic genetic constructs. [US20080243397 A1]. [US Patent and Trademark Office: 20080243397]

Peccoud J, Vander Velden K (April 21, 2005) Computer system for genotype to phenotype mapping using molecular network models. [US20050086035 A1]. [US Patent and Trademark Office: 20050086035]

Leader: Jean Peccoud