TX-TL Workshop, Aug 2013

This page contains information for the TX-TL workshop that will take place at Caltech on 26-30 Aug 2013. This workshop is by invitation only.

Workshop goals

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Build models and simulate circuits using the TX-TL modeling toolbox (MATLAB-based)
• Assemble and test genetic circuits using linear DNA assembly in a single day
• Implement and test a novel 3-6 promoter circuit in E. coli within a single week
• Create enough TX-TL extract and buffer for 300+ reactions, shipped to your home institution
• If time: use artificial cells (vesicles) and droplet-based microfluidics for TX-TL circuits

Travel arrangements

Participants are responsible for making their own travel arrangements:

• The meeting will start at 1:30 pm on 26 Aug (Mon) and end at noon on 30 Aug (Fri). For those who are flying in to LAX, it takes 40-60 minutes to get from LAX to Caltech by taxi. If you are flying into Burbank (BUR), it takes 20-30 minutes.
• Directions and lodging - Saga Motor Hotel is 15 minute walk to campus; Hilton is 15-20 minutes.
• All meetings and lectures will take place in 110 Steele Lab (building 81 on campus map
• If possible, please bring a laptop with MATLAB and Simbiology installed.

Read-ahead material

We encourage you to take a look at the following material before arriving:

• J. Shin and V. Noireaux, An E. coli cell-free expression toolbox: application to synthetic gene circuits and artificial cells. ACS Synthetic Biology, 1(1):29–41, 2012.
• JoVE video (to be posted)

Schedule

The workshop will consist of two sessions each day: morning (9-1) and afternoon (2-6). Participants will be working in the lab, so must have closed shoes and covered legs (no shorts).

	Tuesday am 9:00 am: Analyze TX-TL results from previous day (Clare) 10:00 am: TX-TL modeling toolbox (Vipul)	Wednesday am 9:00 am: Analyze results from previous day 10:00 am: Circuit design and implementation (Shaobin, Clare, Zach, Vincent) Students will choose from neg autoregulation, genetic switch, feedfoward loop or logic circuit Assembly using Golden Gate; linear + plasmid	Thursday am 9:00 am: Analyze results from previous day and pick colonies 10:00 am: circuit redesign (or try out a new circuit)	Friday am 9:00 am: Analyze results from previous day Cell-free In vivo Vesicles ALL 12:00 pm: Group lunch (optional)
Monday pm 1:30 pm, 114 Steele Lab (building 81): Introductions and welcome 2:00 pm: TX-TL overview + plan for the week (Richard) 3:30 pm: Lab session: setting up TX-TL reactions (Clare) Lab safety session Lab tutorial (for participants who haven't done lab work) Set up standard control reactions in TX-TL	Tuesday pm 2:00 pm: Lab session: linear DNA assembly (Zach) Construction of pre-defined circuits using Golden Gate assembly 4:00 pm: TX-TL extract prep overview (Vincent)	Wednesday pm 2:00 pm: Transformation of circuits into cells (Clare) 4:00 pm: Lab session: TX-TL extract prep (Vincent)	Thursday pm 2:00 pm: Rotating sessions: TX-TL extract prep (Anu, Jongmin) Vesicle-based reactions (Vincent) ALL demonstration (Enoch)