Team:BostonU/Chimera

From 2014.igem.org

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Revision as of 01:04, 16 October 2014

Project Chimera

Synthetic biology research revolves around design-build-test cycles for the production of genetic devices. An effective process often depends on protocol robustness and a thorough understanding of individual genetic components. Currently, limited software integration and part characterization represent significant stymying factors to the growth of the field, particularly as researchers endeavor to construct increasingly complex devices with behavior that is difficult to predict.

We seek to strengthen the traditional design-build-test cycle by developing a workflow that utilizes bio-design automation software tools and builds upon a thoroughly characterized library of parts. At the start of our project, we were able to attend IWBDA 2014 and began learning about ways to incorporate software tools into our wet lab process.

The Chimera Workflow

The Chimera workflow is intended to facilitate the predictive design of complex genetic regulatory networks. It employs a design-build-test engineering approach made unique by the inclusion of the following computational tools: Eugene and Pigeon for designing, Raven for assembling, and the TASBE Tools for testing genetic constructs. Depending on the researcher's knowledge of device design and assembly, the Chimera workflow can be adjusted in its reliance on the computational tools employed.

This is a graphic depiction of where the software tools Eugene, Pigeon, Raven, and TASBE Tools enter into the classic design-build-test engineering cycle. We also have a Share branch to reflect sharing our data with the iGEM community on the Registry Pages and also through the Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL) sharing capabilities.

A desired genetic device behavior and an idea of the parts required are all a researcher needs to begin using Chimera. Once these characteristics have been targeted, the workflow can be used to guide a researcher to building their intended device more efficiently. The following is a general outline of the Chimera workflow. An example of BU 2014's test case can be found on our workflow page, in which we test the functionality of Chimera by using it to assemble a priority encoder.

Our Sponsors

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          <td scope="col">Synthetic biology research revolves around design-build-test cycles for the production of genetic devices. An effective process often depends on protocol robustness and a thorough understanding of individual genetic components. Currently, limited software integration and part characterization represent significant stymying factors to the growth of the field, particularly as researchers endeavor to construct increasingly complex devices with behavior that is difficult to predict.<br><br>
-We seek to strengthen the traditional design-build-test cycle by developing a workflow that utilizes bio-design automation software tools and builds upon a thoroughly characterized library of parts. </td>
+We seek to strengthen the traditional design-build-test cycle by developing a workflow that utilizes bio-design automation software tools and builds upon a thoroughly characterized library of parts. At the start of our project, we were able to attend  <a href="https://2014.igem.org/Team:BostonU/HumanPractices">IWBDA 2014</a> and began learning about ways to incorporate software tools into our wet lab process. </td>
 <td scope="col"><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2014/d/d9/Chimera_plasmid_BU14.png" height="300" width="300" alt="ChimeraPlasmid" style="float:right" style= "margin-left:10px"><br><br><capt></capt></td>
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