Synthetic circuits for cell ratio control

Area of Science:

• Synthetic Biology
• Genetic Engineering
• Cellular Engineering

Background:

• Genetic engineering offers tools to diversify cell populations.
• Controlling ratios of multiple cell types from a single founder is challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce genetic devices for precise control over cell population ratios.
• To enable the distribution of distinct functionalities across multiple cell types.

Main Methods:

• Developed recombinase-mediated genetic devices.
• Systematically evaluated recombination efficiency parameters.
• Created data-driven models to predict cell differentiation outcomes.
• Constructed parallel and series circuit topologies for cell-fate branching.

Main Results:

• Achieved accurate control over cell population ratios.
• Enabled autonomous differentiation of precision fermentation consortia (yeast) and mammalian cells.
• Engineered multicellular aggregates with genetically encoded morphologies.
• Demonstrated optimization of cell-type ratios for pigmentation and cellulose degradation.

Conclusions:

• Recombinase-based cell-fate branching provides a robust method for synthetic biology.
• This approach facilitates the construction of synthetic consortia and multicellular assemblies.
• Offers precise control over cell-type ratios for diverse applications.