Principles for the design of multicellular engineered living systems

Area of Science:

• Bioengineering
• Systems Biology
• Synthetic Biology

Background:

• Bioengineering progress over two decades established design principles for medical and non-medical applications.
• These advancements facilitate the construction of multicellular engineered living systems (M-CELS) from biological components.
• M-CELS integrate functional modules into living machines, leveraging systems biology and genetic engineering.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce design principles and a blueprint for the forward production of robust and standardized M-CELS.
• Provide practical and theoretical frameworks for the design, control, and optimization of novel M-CELS.
• Facilitate the application of M-CELS in various fields through a design-build-test-debug cycle.

Main Methods:

• Leveraging systems biology, bioinformatics, computational biology, genetic engineering, and microfluidics.
• Developing cognizant design principles for living systems, including genetic circuit manipulation and cell-cell communication.
• Utilizing a design-build-test-debug cycle for iterative refinement of M-CELS.

Main Results:

• Established fundamental design principles for creating M-CELS.
• Introduced a blueprint for robust and standardized M-CELS production.
• Demonstrated the integration of functional modules into living machines.

Conclusions:

• M-CELS offer a powerful platform for diverse applications, including biopharmaceuticals, biofuels, and environmental bioremediation.
• The presented frameworks enable the forward design, control, and optimization of novel M-CELS.
• M-CELS facilitate experimental investigations into complex biological mechanisms.