Project description
Engineering timer gene circuits to control scheduling of cellular processes
Cells must execute certain functions on schedules, much as a manager running a business. To implement these schedules, cells bear internal ‘clocks’ that control the length of the different processes or the frequency at which they occur. Controlled functions may change throughout a day (the circadian clock) or over days, months or longer. Currently, the only way for us to control cellular actions over time is through external intervention at times dictated by human clocks, or via molecular oscillators that can only modulate repetitive processes. The ERC-funded TICK-TOCK Do and Die project will engineer timer gene circuits into the bacteria Escherichia coli, potentially unleashing the groundbreaking ability of computing time in cells and programming specific cellular actions at desired times.
Objective
Living cells are endowed with encoded programs that allow them to execute vital tasks and respond to relevant stimuli. The use of analogous (synthetic) programs has an enormous potential, yet we are highly limited in our ability to program cellular actions over time. We rely on precisely-timed human intervention or on molecular oscillators that control repetitive processes, but we are still unable to program cells to autonomously execute custom actions at desired times.
I now intend to make a big leap toward this goal by producing control systems (molecular timers) and associated, ready-to-use applications, for the precise and self-sufficient control of cellular actions over time. Specifically, I will engineer timer gene circuits into E. coli that compute time and perform desired actions at specified moments. Timers will be highly programmable, re-usable, and scalable, and I will exploit their potential by using them for different applications, including bioproduction and biosensing.
In sum, I will develop the highly-needed, ground-breaking ability to measure and program time in cells. My results will unleash a myriad of new possibilities, both fundamental and applied.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC GrantsHost institution
08002 Barcelona
Spain