Seminar - Building synthetic microbes with the help of computers

Sponsored by: The Department of Microbiology and Immunology

Please note that our seminars will be Hybrid (in-person & Zoom). The seminar will be in LSC3 but if you prefer to join via Zoom please contact parvin@mail.ubc.ca for how to join! 
 

Abstract: The digital revolution in biology, driven by DNA sequencing, enables us to read the genomes of the myriads of microbes that populate our planet. During my talk, I will highlight how computational algorithms paired with large-scale chemical DNA synthesis enable us to write entire microbial genomes anew. I will present approaches related to the design, synthesis and assembly of computer-generated genomes and will discuss insights gained from the functionality-testing of a 785kb rewritten bacterial genome physically produced in the lab. I will furthermore discuss the use of whole genome synthesis to advance our understanding of living systems and to engineer useful synthetic microbes for future application in industry, medicine and agriculture.

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