Tabor receives NSF grant for synthetic biology research
In previous research, Rice synthetic biologist Jeff Tabor and colleagues created colonies of light-sensitive bacteria that exhibited complex patterns when exposed to images, like this portrait of Albert Einstein. In coming research, Tabor and colleagues at Rice and University of Washington plan to insert genes that will allow the bacteria to grow into complex shapes on their own.SynBERC Affiliated Investigator Jeff Tabor will lead a new four-year, $2 million research program at Rice University and the University of Washington that aims to push the boundaries of synthetic biology by modifying run-of-the-mill bacteria with sophisticated genetic circuits. Researchers say their plan to create bacteria that form geometrical patterns could help scientists better understand the behavior of stem cells.
"In complex creatures like humans and animals, cells cooperate to form extraordinary patterns and structures from the earliest stages of embryonic development," said Rice bioengineer Jeff Tabor. "We want to understand the genetic programming that makes this possible, but these cells are so complex -- and there is so much going on biochemically -- that it's hard to focus on just the piece we want."
Tabor said Escherichia coli (E. coli) provides the researchers with a "blank slate" because colonies of the bacteria don't normally exhibit patterned growth. "By inserting specific genetic circuits into E. coli -- for example, genes that cause them to grow in star patterns -- we can focus on just one piece of a much larger genetic picture."
