Title
Automated Assembly of Synthetic Biological
Systems
(BME-ECE)
Technical
areas
Software engineering, Java, DNA sequencing, experimentation with microorganisms
Customer’s
Project
Description
This project examines how to take abstract descriptions of biological
behavior and “compile” them into DNA sequences. This DNA is then put
into living organisms (e.g. E.coli) which can then carry out that behavior. By
doing so using engineering techniques, algorithms, and tools an entire
academic area known as bio-design automation is emerging. This project
examines how to take optimized assembly instructions regarding how to
assembly DNA parts and translate this information to liquid handling
robotics.
This research project will involve the creation of new “apps” for a software
tool named “Clotho”. Clotho is a revolutionary new tool for Synthetic
Biology which connects to repositories of standard biological parts to build
novel new engineered biological systems. For some background on Clotho
see – http://www.clothocad.org
Project requires strong Java programming skills and experience with a
standard Java IDE (Netbeans preferably). Students need to be strong coders,
have experience translating algorithms into software, and have the ability to
work through software engineering tasks.
Deliverables Prototype system including new software “apps”
Customer’s
Contact
Information
Prof. Douglas Densmore
ECE Department
dougd@bu.edu
(Prof. Densmore will advise
both ECE and BME students)
8 St. Mary’s Street
Customer’s
Supplied
Items
ECE Department, Boston University
7/2/2016