Course Syllabus

ECE/CS/BioEn 6760

Engineering Genetic Circuits


Course description

With the sequencing of the human genome and the genomes of other organisms, we now have a list of the parts that make up these genetic systems.  Using this information, researchers are now able to engineer synthetic genetic circuits for a range of applications in the environmental, medical, and energy domains.  Crucial to the success of these efforts is the development of methods and tools for the design of these genetic circuits.  While inspiration can be drawn from experiences with electronic design, design with a genetic material poses several challenges.  In particular, genetic circuits are composed of very noisy components making their behavior more asynchronous, analog, and stochastic in nature.  This course will present recent research into new methods and software tools for the modeling, analysis, and design of genetic circuits that are enabling this exciting new field of synthetic biology.  As in the sequencing of the human genome, collaborations between engineers and biologists will be essential to the success of synthetic biology. Therefore, the goal of this course is to facilitate these collaborations by teaching both the biological and engineering principles necessary for such research.

Instructor

Instructor: Dr. Chris Myers

Prerequisites

Students should either have some familiarity with genetics, cell biology, molecular biology, or biochemistry OR engineering methods for modeling, analysis, and design. Students are not expected to have a knowledge in both.

Recommended Textbook

Engineering Genetic Circuits

Course Requirements

  • Course participation - 10 percent
    • Attend class and participate in class discussions.
  • Homework - 40 percent
    • Will learn how to use and create modeling, analysis, and design tools.
    • Use simple system for tutorial.
    • Choose genetic circuit to use in your assignments.
    • Model, analyze, and design your genetic with the tools taught in class.
  • Project - 50 percent
    • Design a genetic circuit, or
    • Design and implement a software tool.

Meeting Times

Class 2pm - 3:20pm TTh Dr. Myers MEB 2325
Office Hours 3:30pm - 4:30pm TTh Dr. Myers MEB 4112

Related Web Pages

iGEM Competition

iGEM Registry

SBOL Standard

ACS Synthetic Biology Journal

Synthetic Biology Journal

Engineering Biology Journal

PubMed

SB 7.0 Conference

SynBioBeta

Course Summary:

Date Details Due