Life but not Alive – synthetic minimal cells
Kate Adamala, Ph.D.
Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, US
Biography：
Kate received a MSc in chemistry from the University of Warsaw, Poland, studying synthetic organic chemistry. In grad school, she worked with professor Pier Luigi Luisi from University Roma Tre and Jack Szostak from Harvard University. She studied RNA biophysics, small peptide catalysis and liposome dynamics, in an effort to build a chemical system capable of Darwinian evolution. Kate's postdoctoral work in Ed Boyden's Synthetic Neurobiology group at MIT focused on developing novel methods for multiplex control and readout of mammalian cells. Kate’s research spans questions from the origin and earliest evolution of life, through using synthetic biology to colonize space, to the future of biotechnology and medicine.
Abstract：
Our research aims at building cell-like “synthetic cell” systems, mimicking biological cells and allowing applications impossible to achieve with natural cells. Our lab focuses on some of those specific applications: biosensors, drug development and delivery. Our work is motivated by the ultimate goals of using synthetic cells to study diseases and develop better therapies, build tools for biosensing and degrading pollutants in the environment, and study the origin and physical boundaries of life. We utilize the combination of top-down and bottom-up approaches to synthetic biology; using tools of protein engineering and molecular biology, combined with synthetic cell liposomal bioreactor technologies, to interface with natural cells. We are expanding current cell-free protein synthesis and RNA-binding protein technologies, to build a programmable synthetic minimal cell bioreactor.
Time: 16:30-17:30 pm, June 9th, 2017 (Friday)
Venue: New Biology Building, Room 143
Host: Prof. Ting Zhu
