We draw inspiration from the incredible functionality and beauty of chromosomes packed within the tiny living bacteria to create DNA-based systems that can carry out genetically programmed, life-like tasks autonomously, without relying on external controls. At the heart of this approach are cell-like biochips—small, engineered compartments filled with individual DNA molecules that support DNA transactions outside living cells. This unique setup empowers us to study, replicate, and engineer genetic processes in a way that is both simple and adaptable, with impact for basic research, biomedical applications, and biotechnology.
Join Us!
Are you excited by the idea of building biology from the bottom up? Do you love tinkering with optics, coding late into the night, microfabrication, or thinking about how biomolecules work as a collective? We’re a collaborative group of scientists (engineering, biology, chemistry, and physics) pushing the frontiers of bottom-up synthetic biology and single-molecule biophysics, and we’re always looking for curious, driven, and creative minds at all levels to join us. Send an email to Ferdinand or come by our lab for a tour; we will open this September.
Chromosome dynamics in cell-like compartments
We investigate whole-genome dynamics by transferring bacterial chromosomes into microfluidic compartments that resemble cells, along with using cell-free gene expression systems. We stretched individual chromosomes and spatially mapped numerous molecular machines attached to the DNA, uncovering a complex and uneven distribution along the chromosome (see Reference)
Cell-free genetic circuits on single DNA molecules
We examine coupled gene expression, which involves linked transcription and translation in real time at the level of single molecules, and found cell-free gene regulation on single DNA molecules. We used this gene regulation through local protein synthesis to build the first cell-free gene circuits (see Reference)
Genetic decision-making in cell-like compartments
We reconstitute genetic decision-making in cell-like compartments, identifying a trade-off between speed and accuracy by dramatically altering the gene copy number. We utilized the classic decision-making circuit of the lambda bacteriophage's lifecycle, transitioning between the lytic and lysogenic states (see Reference)