SynBERC Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center

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SynBERC A center-based approach to the
engineering of biology

• Research thrusts
• Parts
• Genetically encoded entity with basic biological
  function (e.g., a ribosome binding site,
  transcription terminator, phosphorylation motif)
• Devices
• Collections of parts that perform one or more
  intended functions (e.g., Boolean logic
  operation, a feedback control loop, chemical
  transformation)
• Key components include specifying device
  families device-device carrier signals standard
  experimental methods for device modeling and
  characterization
• Chassis
• Naïve cellular power supplies and chassis that
  can be used to sustain the proper operation of a
  synthetic biological system
• Systems engineers focus on system design, and
  cell engineers focus on the design of cells as
  power supplies and chassis

• Testbeds
• Research thrusts are driven in large part by
  SynBERCs three science testbeds, which serve to
  demonstrate the utility of synthetic biology and
  the tools constructed in our thrusts
•  
• Testbed 1 Construction of a bacterium to swim
  to a chemical or biological agent and destroy it
  (e.g. tumor-killing bacterium)
•  
• Testbed 2 Microbial synthesis of natural and
  unnatural organic compounds
• Reconstruction of plant alkaloid pathways in
  microbes
• De novo design of biosynthetic pathways
•  
• Testbed 3 Development of a bacterium to produce
  cheap biofuels from biomass
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Vision SynBERC is a multi-institution research
effort to help lay the foundation for synthetic
biology. Just as technicians now assemble
standardized, off-the-shelf electronic components
to build computers, synthetic biologists
anticipate the ability to assemble
well-characterized biological components into
robust host organisms to achieve specific
functions. SynBERC aims to provide the tools and
techniques to help designers easily and
predictably reprogram existing systems, and
reduce the prohibitively high costs and long
development times of conventional biological
approaches.
The underlying goal of our research is not just
to deliver systems that fulfill these testbed
applications, but rather to develop the
foundational infrastructure that is needed to
make routine the design and construction of any
engineered biological system.

• Web of registries
• Based on MIT Registry of Standard Biological
  Parts (parts.mit.edu)
• Well-characterized, community-rated, standard
  parts
• Distributed, coordinated access to banked parts
• All parts available to industrial participants

community
core members
partners

• Education outreach
• SynBERC develops modular online curricula and
  training materials for all student levels
• The International Genetically Engineered Machine
  Competition (iGEM) is the flagship education
  program of SynBERC. Undergraduate students use
  and create Registry parts to learn how to design
  and execute a synthetic biology project over the
  course of a summer.
• Human Practices educates citizens and
  policymakers about the benefits and threats
  synthetic biology
• SynBERC provides industry-sponsored summer
  internships in industrial labs, in partnership
  with QB3 and SynBERC alliance members

• Tech transfer industry
• SynBERC emphasizes industrial collaborations and
  technology transfer through its Industry Alliance
  Program, which aims to accelerate the commercial
  use of biology as an engineering science.
  Industry benefits can include
• Close interaction and joint projects with SynBERC
  faculty and students
• Access to unpublished research results and
  SynBERC publications
• Joint submittal of SBIR/STTR proposals and
  potential university fund matching
• Opportunity to sponsor dedicated research
  projects with SynBERC Faculty
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iGEM
www.synberc.org