Neolife: Redesigning living systems

Biochemistry Division Seminar Series

The conventional view of biological organisms defines them based on their composition, and their mode of replication. Both can be changed, and in ways that synergize with one another. The composition of organisms is at some level a function of the monomers that are incorporated, while the mode of replication is based on the operation of Crick's Central Dogma in the context of a cell. Both the Central Dogma and the need for cellularization are open to question, and both can potentially be changed in part by changing the underlying monomers required for replication and biological function. This mystifying series of sentences will hopefully be deconvoluted by actual experimental approaches involving protein engineering, changing the genetic code, synthetic biology, and amorphous computation.

For more information contact Prof. Nicholas Hud (404-385-1162).