Engineering Gene Networks
Speaker: JJ Collins, , BU, Center for BioDynamics & Dept. of Biomedical Eng
Date: May 9 2005
Time: 11:30AM to 1:00PM
Location: STAR 32-D463
Host: P Clote/ BC & B Berger/ MIT
Contact: Kathleen Dickey, 617 253-3037, kvdickey@mit.edu
Relevant URL: http://www-math.mit.edu/compbiosem/
Many fundamental cellular processes are governed by genetic programs
which employ protein-DNA interactions in regulating function. Owing
to recent technological advances, it is now possible to design
synthetic gene regulatory networks, and the stage is set for the
notion of engineered cellular control at the DNA level.
Theoretically, the biochemistry of the feedback loops associated with
protein-DNA interactions often leads to nonlinear equations, and the
tools of nonlinear analysis become invaluable. In this talk, we
describe how techniques from nonlinear dynamics and molecular biology
can be utilized to model, design and construct synthetic gene
regulatory networks. We present examples in which we integrate the
development of a theoretical model with the construction of an
experimental system. We also discuss the implications of synthetic
gene networks for biotechnology, biomedicine and biocomputing. In
addition, we present integrated computational-experimental approaches
that enable construction of first-order quantitative models of
gene-protein regulatory networks using only steady-state expression
measurements and no prior information on the network structure or
function. We discuss how the reverse-engineered network models,
coupled to experiments, can be used: (1) to identify the pathways and
gene products targeted by pharmaceutical compounds, and (2) to gain
insight into the regulatory role of individual genes and proteins in
the network.
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