Advances in gene expression control via active translational coupling

11 Jan 2012
Posted by kcosta

BIOFAB has developed a method that allows for reliable functional coupling of prokaryotic transcription and translation control elements with user-specific coding sequences for genes of interest. The BIOFAB team engineered a collection of standard biological parts that implements the method across a range of transcription and translation levels, and with native and also a phage RNA polymerase. For the genes tested in the system so far, BIOFAB achieved >90% predictability of gene expression to within a two-fold protein concentration of the target window. Team Leader Vivek Mutalik announced the work during Cambridge Healthtech Institute's Third Annual Engineering Genes, Vectors, Constructs and Clones Conference on January 9, 2012.

DNA2.0 Partners with BIOFAB to Offer Biological Building Blocks Through Gene Designer

28 Jul 2011
Posted by kcosta

DNA2.0 today announced that the first collection of biological building blocks characterized by the BIOFAB International Open Facility Advancing Biotechnology (BIOFAB) are now available for use in the design and assembly of genes within DNA2.0’s Gene Designer software. The free-to-use BIOFAB genetic parts are distributed as virtual sequences in the newly minted gene marketplace embedded within DNA2.0’s gene design and assembly application. This “app store” for molecular biology and biotechnology provides scientists and bioengineers access to powerful preassembled and validated DNA elements for making genetic constructs with Gene Designer. DNA2.0 becomes the first commercial vendor to provide access—through a few clicks of a mouse—to the initial collection of biological parts developed by BIOFAB.

BIOFAB 2011 Community Meeting

14 Jun 2011
Posted by kcosta

We'll hold an ad hoc BIOFAB Community Meeting this Saturday 18 June 2011 at Stanford, immediately following SB5.0. The meeting will commence at Stanford’s Y2E2 Building, Room 299. Coffee will be available at 8:30, we’ll start at 9. The building address is 473 Via Ortega, Stanford CA 94305. Free parking is available right next to building.

SBOL workshop participants argue for full [sequence] disclosure

13 Jan 2011
Posted by kcosta

Following a discussion by the workgroup for Data Standards in Synthetic Biology, which met in June 2010 during the Second Workshop on Biodesign Automation, several participants (including a number of BIOFAB and SynBERC investigators) published a Nature Biotechnology letter to the editor arguing that articles reporting synthetic gene networks should always disclose the complete sequence of all constructs described. They note that without such information, it is challenging if not impossible to reproduce and build upon others' work, which is a central tenet of the engineering of biology. The full letter, entitled "Essential information for synthetic DNA sequences" and published January 10, 2011, is at Nature Biotechnology.