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Engineering Biology in Cambridge

 

The EngBio Postdoc Fund supports postdocs within the University of Cambridge Synthetic and Engineering Biology community to develop their own interdisciplinary, cross-departmental and cross-school projects. Learn more about the results of the three postdoc projects which were successfully implemented in 2022.

The 2022 fund focused on five categories: piloting application-driven research projects, cross-sector relationship building, training, development of resources and tools, and public engagement. Learn more about the results of the three postdoc projects which were successfully implemented in 2022.

 

Small scale open-source automation workshop

Dr. Facundo Romani

Cross-sector relationship building, Training

Robotic liquid handlers are becoming more accessible for small/average molecular biology laboratories, enabling them to carry out routine experiments in higher throughput. Particularly, the open-access the Opentron OT-2 platform is one of the most common hardware for lab automation. However, protocols and training necessary for the operation of these equipment are not easily available for many departments in the University. 

The project organised a training for researchers and students interested in incorporating automation to their routine molecular biology experiments or groups with already some experience with automation. The Open-source automation workshop included 4 hours of intense training for 20 participants from a broad range of departments. A plan was discussed among the organisers and the participants for a follow up training event.

The project has successfully 1) provided interdisciplinary space for learning  and exchanging ideas about lab automation and directly interacting with the OT-2 robotic platform, 2) strengthened the current collaborations between Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, the Earlham Bio fundtry, and Plant Sciences, and 3) attracted attention of the manufacturer of the OT-2 platform (Opentrons), which paves the way to future collaboration and fund.

 

Biosynthesis of beta-blue

Dr. Jiafu Tan

Piloting application-driven research projects, Development of resources and tools, Cross-sector relationship building

Blue pigments are rare in plant. Indigoidine, derived from bacteria, has raised the interest in bioengineering as a new blue pigment. The project aimed to biosynthesize indigoidine and betaxanthin simultaneously to produce a novel pigment, beta-indigoidine, through a supposed in vivo reaction between the intermediate metabolite (betalamic acid) in betaxanthin biosynthesis and the amine groups in indigoidine. 

The project has successfully in E. coli synthesised a new pigment, beta-indigoidine, which is brownish and stable in alkaline. In plants, it proved that indigoidine can trigger a dramatical cell death, even when co-produced with Betaxanthin.  

The project fostered collaboration between postdocs of the Departments of Plant Sciences and Chemistry. The results of the project open opportunities for collaboration and funds to 1) produce and scale-up a new pigment and 2) develop a new environment friendly herbicide with indigoidine. 

 

Using cDNA microarrays for fingerprint studies of a 2D and 3D in vitro model of the human gut – are we getting closer to in vivo systems?

Dr. Verena Stoeger

Piloting application-driven research projects, Development of resources and tools, Cross-sector relationship building

The gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in human health. So far, the influence of diet on host-microbiome interactions is incompletely understood due to available over-simplified in vitro or animal models. 

The project delivered for the first time highly valuable insights into the regulation of the Transcriptome of the bioelectronic 3D vitro model of the human gut, which paves the way for getting a better understanding of host-microbiome interactions. It established a new collaboration between the University of Vienna and the University of Cambridge. 

The outcomes of the project were presented at the MRS Fall Meeting in Boston and are planned to be published under the title “Conducting mechanistic studies in a 3D bioelectronic model of the human gut– are we getting closer to in vivo systems?”

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