Molecular Engineering and Sciences Seminar Series
Engineering biochemical systems using a cell-free expression toolbox
Bio: Vincent Noireaux got his B.Sc. in applied physics at the University of Tours (France) in 1994. In 1995 he moved to Paris for physics graduate school at the University Paris 11 (Orsay). He did his PhD at the Curie Institute (Paris, 1996-2000) in biological physics in the laboratory of Jacques Prost on the motion of the bacterium Listeria. He studied the actin cytoskeleton mechanisms involved in cell motility. He learned the biology related to this project in the laboratory of Daniel Louvard. In 2000 he joined the laboratory of Albert Libchaber at the Rockefeller University in New York City where he spent five years as a postdoc. He used cell-free expression systems to construct elementary gene networks and synthetic cell systems. In 2005, he moved to the University of Minnesota where he is pursuing his work in synthetic biology using cell-free expression. His research consists of constructing and characterizing biochemical systems by executing synthetic DNA programs in vitro, from simple regulatory elements to synthetic cell systems. Abstract: I will present an all E. coli cell-free expression platform (TXTL) specifically developed to construct biochemical systems in vitro by executing gene circuits in either test tube reactions, microfluidics or cell-sized liposomes. I will present our last results and show how TXTL is used for several applications, including prototyping gene regulatory elements such as CRISPR, the complete synthesis of bacteriophages, biomanufacturing and assembly of synthetic cell analogs. This weekly seminar brings together students, faculty and invited guests from various disciplines across campus to explore current trends in molecular engineering and nanotechnology. It is a forum for active interdisciplinary discussions. These talks are open to the public and attract a diverse audience of students and faculty. |