Researchers from Aachen University of Technology (RWTH), Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) and Michigan State University (MSU) explore how computer models can be used to design microbial communities for applications like CO2 capture and wastewater treatment.
How can computer models help design microbial communities ? Researchers examined the development perspectives of so-called synthetic biology . In a new article, they explain why computer-aided biology has an important role to play.
How can computer models help design microbial communities? Within the framework of the Collaborative Research Centre CRC1535"MibiNet" coordinated by Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf , a research team comprising members from Aachen, Düsseldorf and East Lansing/USA examined the development perspectives of so-called synthetic biology. In the scientific journalCommunities of microorganisms -- bacteria, fungi and viruses -- can be found everywhere, also and in particular in organisms, where they fulfil a variety of functions. For example, the microbial community in the human gut, the so-called microbiome, is essential for the metabolism -- the microorganisms are needed to unlock many nutrients and make them available to the body. If the composition of the microbiome is incorrect, this can cause significant damage to the organism as a whole. The interdisciplinary research field of"synthetic biology" is also increasingly focusing on these microbial networks. The aim is to use engineering principles to design and construct new biological systems and organisms that can perform specific functions. Genetic engineering methods help modify and transfer DNA and RNA across different organisms. Synthetic biology initially focused on individual synthetic organisms, but its potential for designing highly complex networks such as artificial communities of organisms is becoming increasingly obvious. Such artificial communities offer a wide range of potential application areas including the mitigation of disease, increased crop productivity or the production of valuable biomolecules. Researchers from the CRC1535"MibiNet" have been inspired by natural lichens, in which phototrophic cyanobacteria or algae establish a close symbiotic relationship with heterotrophic fungal partners. They want to develop the microbial networking manifested here as an example for future applications. The research findings are intended as a contribution toward establishing interdisciplinary methods and technologies for CO2-negative processes, i.e. processes that actively capture CO2 from the atmosphere. In a further research project -- ACCeSS -- the intention is to harness energy from the sun to treat wastewater., researchers from Aachen University of Technology , HHU and Michigan State University in East Lansing in the USA outline this future direction of development for synthetic biology. They emphasise the role of computational biology as an integral component, which can greatly simplify the design of artificial communities. Professor Dr Ilka Axmann from HHU, corresponding author of the study:"We propose a shift in perspective from single-organism centred approaches to emphasising the functional contributions of organisms within the community." With regard to the research approach, she adds:"The focus lies on the function the community as a whole should perform. It is irrelevant which specific organisms it contains: Organisms are merely the chassis containing necessary metabolic pathways, providing required functional roles." Dr Daniel C. Ducat, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at MSU adds:"Increasing numbers of examples show that, although the specific species composition of complex microbial communities can change over time or at different locations, the specific functions of the community are stable on a larger scale." Dr Anna Matuszyńska, lead author of the study and Junior Professor of Computational Life Science at RWTH:"Computational biology can help support modularisation in synthetic biology, which is desirable as it would reduce complexity and create versatile, scalable frameworks that can be tailored to specific functions within biological communities. With the help of mathematical models, we can predict and optimise such systems to ensure they work reliably and efficiently. The intention is to use this 'in silico design' in the earliest stages of developing a synthetic community."New research suggests that materials commonly overlooked in computer chip design actually play an important role in information processing, a discovery which could lead to faster and more efficient ... Many complex systems, from microbial communities to mussel beds to drylands, display striking self-organized clusters. According to theoretical models, these groupings play an important role in how ... Researchers have led one of the first field trials for a synthetic biology-based diagnostic using patient samples. This work, conducted on-site in Latin America, reveals the potential for cell-free ... Researchers have designed the first synthetic biology circuit that relies exclusively on protein-protein interactions. These circuits can be turned on within seconds, much faster than other synthetic ...Research Reveals Reality of Ice Age Teen Puberty'Some Pterosaurs Would Flap, Others Would Soar' -- New Study Further Confirms the Flight Capability of These Giants of the Skies
Synthetic Biology Microbial Communities Computer Modeling CO2 Capture Wastewater Treatment
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