Teaching

INTRODUCTION TO SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY – BMME 420 (Spring Semesters)

Synthetic biology is a relatively new discipline with the goal of engineering biological systems with specific, designed functions. Example application areas include sensors, medical diagnostics, bioenergy/biofuels, programmable biomaterials, chemical synthesis, environmental testing, and many others. Synthetic biology is different from historical “genetic engineering” approaches in that a design engineering methodology is a central component of this discipline, as is the creation and use of standardized, well-characterized interchangeable parts. While oriented towards the creation of biological devices, advancements in the field will also provide significant insight into the core principles of biological systems.

This course provides an introduction to both the theoretical principles as well as hands-on techniques of synthetic biology. It consists of a weekly lecture covering relevant background and theory as well as a lab focused on learning fundamental experimental techniques.