Title: Synthetic Biology and Systems Medicine: from cancer immunotherapy to respiratory systems engineering
Abstract: Synthetic Biology and Systems Medicine are revolutionising the fields of biological and medical science. By applying engineering principles to the design and optimisation of living systems, these positively disruptive technologies offer the potential for major advances in our understanding and control of living systems, and in our ability to counteract disease. In this talk I will discuss these developments and provide some examples from current research in my lab, focusing on recombinase-based kill-switches for cancer immunotherapy, biomolecular feedback control circuits, and treatment of critical respiratory illness using computational simulation of virtual patients. This and other research points the way towards a radical new vision of Bioengineering for the 21st century.