Molecular Programming Project

This is a joint project with Erik Winfree (PI), Shuki Bruck, Eric Klavins (UW), Niles Pierce and Paul Rothemund, funded by the NSF Expeditions program. This page primarily describes the work done in Richard Murray's group; see the MPP homepage for a description of the complete project.

Current participants: Dionysios Barmpoutis (PhD student, CNS) Fei Chen (undergraduate, Bi) Elisa Franco (PhD student, CDS) Christopher Sturk (SURF, Lund U)

Past participants:

Objectives

The long term goal of the Molecular Programming Project is to establish a fundamental approach to the design of complex molecular and chemical systems based on the principles of computer science. The focus of our study, molecular programs, are collections of molecules that may perform a computation, fabricate an object, or control a system of molecular sensors and actuators. This project aims to develop tools and theories for molecular programming--such as programming languages and compilers--that will enable systematic design and implementation in the laboratory.

Current work includes:

• Developing in vitro transcriptional circuits capable of equalizing the rates of production of transcripts (Franco, Chen)
• Modeling and analyzing the role of crosstalk in biological circuits (Barmpoutis)
• Modeling, characterization and interconnection of transcriptional oscillators (Franco, Winfree)

Publications

• Design of insulating devices for in vitro synthetic circuits, Elisa Franco, Domitilla Del Del Vecchio, Richard M Murray. Conference on Decision and Control (CDC), 2009.
• Design and performance of in vitro transcription rate regulatory circuit, Elisa Franco, Richard M Murray. Conference on Decision and Control (CDC), 2008.