Innovators scientists at the University of Warwick have created radical new techniques. These innovations significantly boost the efficiency and durability of engineered cells, sometimes referred to as “cell factories.” Dr. Alexander Darlington, a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow and Assistant Professor at the School of Engineering, is at the forefront of these advances. They claim to be increasing the durability of these cells in reactions for weeks at a time.
Engineered cells must overcome formidable hurdles, not the least of which is a limited lifespan and vulnerability to stress-induced genetic mutations. These types of mistakes can introduce mutations that, in the end, ruin the cells’ abilities altogether. In order to meet such challenges, researchers are already focusing on a myriad of genetic engineering techniques. Their ultimate aim, they say, is to make cell factories stable enough that, after producing various products in high quality and quantity, they can survive over millions of generations.
New research from the University of Warwick has uncovered a particularly damning insight. Applied negative feedback systems can improve the engineered cells function by up to threefold. She envisions these systems as self-regulating cell activities. They’re masters at producing or controlling growth factors simultaneously, so that these sometimes fragile engineered organisms still perform their intended tasks.
The suggested approaches are adaptable, as they can be used universally across all systems, eliminating the need for extensive redesign. This adaptability gives researchers the freedom to combine cutting-edge methods with tried-and-true practices. In doing so, they enormously boost their productive capacity.
Dr. Darlington’s team demonstrated that engineered cell factories can produce more chemicals without relying on antibiotics or complex engineering methods. In a similar way, researchers have been able to control growth rates by inserting gene circuits into cells. This approach further reduces the chances of performing mutations that would impair performance. Two self-regulating feedback loops combine to produce the best performance in these bioengineered cells. One system monitors the rate of production and another the rate of growth.
This paper represents a big step forward in the field of synthetic biology. It unlocks exciting new opportunities to design more efficient, continuous-running cell factories. Dr. Darlington and his team are deeply committed to ensuring that engineered cells live longer and achieve their full potential. Their research opened the door to all sorts of novel applications throughout industrial sectors and biotechnological fields.