Synthetic Biology “Circuits” to Detect Disease States
October 5, 2021 | Terry Sharrer
MIT engineers have created synthetic biology “circuits” that could pave the way for implantable sensors that detect heart pathologies or diabetes. “The circuits rely on protein-protein interactions, naturally occurring processes in which one protein in the body switches another on or off by either adding or deleting chemicals known as phosphates. They engineered a way to quickly activate the circuits, they said. The inspiration for the circuits came from protein-protein interactions that are “bistable,” meaning they can toggle back and forth between two different stable states. In the body, bistable switches govern several important functions, including activating immune cells and forming memory.” MORE
Image Credit: MIT