Video Explainer: Rock-Paper-Scissors: Engineered Population Dynamics Increase Genetic Stability (VIDEO)
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This is an overview video of the research described in 'Rock-paper-scissors: Engineered population dynamics increase genetic stability' published in the 6 September issue of the journal Science by M.J. Liao et al. Bioengineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a method to significantly extend the life of gene circuits used to instruct microbes to do things such as produce and deliver drugs, break down chemicals and serve as environmental sensors. Most of the circuits that synthetic biologists insert into microbes break or vanish entirely from the microbes after a certain period of time--typically days to weeks--because of various mutations. But in the September 6, 2019 issue of the journal Science, the UC San Diego researchers demonstrated that they can keep genetic circuits going for much longer. The key to this approach is the researchers' ability to completely replace one genetic-circuit-carrying sub-population with another, in order to reset the mutation clock, while keeping the circuit running.
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University of California San Diego / Michael Liao
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photo credit: University of California San Diego / Michael Liao
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