Teaching systematic, reproducible model development using synthetic biology.

Area of Science:

• Chemical Engineering
• Synthetic Biology
• Computational Science

Background:

• Computational modeling is a core competency in modern chemical engineering.
• Synthetic biology offers complex systems for applying and developing computational models.
• Existing curricula may lack integrated approaches to computational modeling within synthetic biology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a comprehensive educational unit for teaching computational modeling.
• To integrate computational modeling principles with synthetic biology applications.
• To provide students with practical skills in iterative model development.

Main Methods:

• Development of lectures covering fundamental computational methods.
• Provision of accompanying code examples for practical implementation.
• Design of homework assignments to reinforce conceptual understanding and application.
• Emphasis on the iterative refinement of computational models.

Main Results:

• Students gain conceptual and practical understanding of computational modeling techniques.
• The unit facilitates the application of modeling to synthetic biology problems.
• Learners are equipped to address challenges in both synthetic biology and classical chemical engineering.
• The educational materials are adaptable for various learning levels.

Conclusions:

• The presented educational unit effectively bridges computational modeling and synthetic biology.
• This approach enhances chemical engineering education by providing practical modeling skills.
• The developed content serves as a valuable resource for educators and students in related fields.