Molecular engineering: better tools, better science, better life
Human civilisation is built on exploiting and manipulating biological systems, from the most simple to the most complex. While domestication, cultivation and the breeding of living systems laid the foundations for contemporary industries, the introduction of molecular biology has, as we know it, transformed medicine, agriculture and industry.
Animal cloning, sequencing and synthesis of complete genomes demonstrated the technical capacity of modern biotechnology to modify and replicate living organisms. The next step in this development is the knowledge-based design of biological systems. While the classical engineering-driven designs of devices is based on the first principles of physics and mathematics, the lack of quantitative descriptions of living system makes their redesign an empirical and unpredictable process.
Our research is focused on filling this technological gap by developing new methods for rapid in vitro synthesis and engineering of proteins and protein-based machines to help develop treatments for cancer, blindness, thrombosis and excessive bleeding. These methods are vital in biotechnology, as the ability to produce and analyse proteins determines the expense and speed of the discovery and creation of new vaccines, drugs and diagnostic methods. We combine this technology with molecule spectroscopy to quantitatively analyse protein dynamics and protein-protein interactions.
During the past 12 months, through our work to combine these technologies, we have developed synthetic protein signal transduction and amplification cascade based on proteases for the use in organism engineering and in vitro diagnostics. We have also developed a novel cell-free protein expression system based on the single-celled organism known as Leishmania tarentolae. By using this technology, we have successfully converted large sets of genes into proteins within hours. Next steps
Our next steps will be to further develop our protease-based biosensors for use in human diagnostics, and pursue partnerships with industry to help make them commercially accessible. We will also continue developing novel engineering technology based on biophysically guided directed evolution. We expect that having developed this technology we will be able to engineer novel enzymes and protein-based machines with multiple industrial uses. Our current focus is on developing enzymes for use in animal feedstock.
Current projects and funding
View current Alexandrov Lab honours projects.
Under development
http://www.imb.uq.edu.au/kirill-alexandrov
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