'Synbion' The UCL Network in Synthetic Biology

Biology has come a long way since the understanding of the structure of DNA and how proteins and enzymes work. It is now possible to think of designing proteins to be components in electrical circuits and devices. The usefulness of proteins is that they can be designed to have altered surfaces or properties by changing the DNA coding for the protein or enzyme. Proteins could bring new properties to electronic devices such as linking electronic devices with enzyme reactions or harvesting light and making mixed devices with electrical, optical, magnetic and enzymic functions. The network of researchers we will bring together under the name of the Synbion network, will include many different scientists who may not normally talk to each other in their normal line of work. By bringing these researchers together and giving them defined tasks such as considering the design of a protein wire then adding further active elements such as an enzyme or magnetic properties, we hope to kick start the design and building of devices or elements that might be used in future electronic devices. We will invite representitives of the UK electronic industries to participate in the discussions so that they can consider using designed proteins in future electronic devices. These biological electronic elements would be renewable and recyclable and not use precious or rare metals.

The ability to redesign proteins, enzymes, bacteriophage surfaces and whole cell surfaces now allows some radical new materials to be designed. We can now start to consider the designing of electronic, magnetic and optical components using biological elements such as proteins and protein complexes. The Synbion network will bring together many different disciplines to first find out about each others field and what it is currently capable of, then to discuss the design of possible biological-electronic elements and finally to create joint projects where discrete devices could be synthesized and tested. We will look for and bring in companies that currently design and manufacture electrical, opto-electrical and magnetic devices and discuss with them the possibilities that biology could bring to their industries. By designing modified proteins, protein complexes, bacteriophages and whole cells, novel functions could be married to electronic, optical or magnetic devices. The Synbion network will be given tasks to aim for such as the design of specific hybrid, biological components. The ultimate scaleability and manufacturability af any designed element will be a paramount aim of the discussions and design. Joint with grant BB/F018665/1. Co-funding provided by EPSRC under the Networks in Synthetic Biology initiative.