Project Grant 20206702131254

SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY SEEKS TO USE THE ENZYMES THAT OCCUR IN ALL CELLS TO MANUFACTURE CHEMICALS AND OTHER PRODUCTS IN A GREENER AND MORE EFFICIENT MANNER THAN RELYING ON CLASSICAL CHEMICAL SYNTHESIS. FOR AGRICULTURE, THIS CAN ALLOW COMMONLY GROWN PRODUCTS SUCH AS SUGAR TO BE UTILIZED AS A FEEDSTOCK FOR ENZYME SYSTEMS THAT ARE THEN EXPLOITED TO SYNTHESIZE FAR MORE VALUABLE AND COMPLEX CHEMICAL PRODUCTS AS NEEDED. MORE IMPORTANTLY, BY MIXING AND MATCHING THE CHOICE OF ENZYMES IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO MANUFACTURE DIFFERENT FINAL PRODUCTS. MANY OF THE METHODS TO ACCOMPLISH THIS UNFORTUNATELY STILL DO NOT EXIST. MOST CURRENT RESEARCH IS LOOKING TO ENGINEER CELLS TO ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS. THIS, HOWEVER, IS EXTREMELY COMPLICATED AND COMES WITH MANY PROBLEMS AND CAN BE VERY EXPENSIVE. OUR APPROACH IS BASED ON NANOTECHNOLOGY AND FOCUSES ON JUST USING THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF ENZYMES NEEDED AND TO GET THEM TO WORK TOGETHER VERY EFFICIENTLY BY ALLOWING THEM TO FORM INTO LITTLE CLUSTERS THROUGH THE USE OF NANOPARTICLES. MIXING AND MATCHING THE ENZYMES THAT ARE USED HERE DICTATES THE CHOICE OF PRODUCT. UNDERSTANDING HOW THESE SYSTEMS WORK AT A FUNDAMENTAL LEVEL WILL ALLOW US TO APPLY THE LESSONS LEARNED TO MAKE MANY OTHER PRODUCTS OF CHOICE IN A SIMILAR MANNER. ULTIMATELY, IF THIS IS SUCCESSFUL THEN SIMPLE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS CAN ACT AS A STARTING POINT FOR MAKING MANY OF THE COMPLEX CHEMICALS OUR TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY NOW REQUIRES AND IS MANY TIMES FORCED TO BUY FROM COMPETITOR NATIONS.