SynCell-nExUs Supervisors

Dora Tang is trained as a Physical chemist/ biophysicist and is focused on using bottom-up approaches to define the physico-chemical principles of living systems. Her expertise lies in the construction and quantitative analysis of compartmentalised reactions. One of the goals of the lab is to develop minimal systems which sustain out-of-equilibrium behaviour.   We use interdisciplinary approaches from analytical chemistry, biochemistry and biophysics to molecular biology to build functionalized compartments with robust, precise and programmable behaviour. Key words: compartments, reactions, cell free expression, coacervates, vesicles, microscopy.

Information processing and evolution of synthetic cells: ”Towards evolving systems, we focus on the role of compartmentalization to contain reactions whilst enabling communication. We hypothesise that compartmentalization can provide a selection pressure to evolve chemical species by providing feedback. We aim to develop quantitative methodologies using analytical methods to determine how compositional diversity can support evolution in a population by communication and differential regulation of encapsulated reactions.”

Enabling technologies for synthetic cells: ”Here, we aim design and build synthetic glycobodies to define the principles by which compartmentalization can regulate metabolism. The long term goal would be to translate insights from minimal synthetic cells, in particular a mechanistic understanding of how compartmentalization regulates metabolism, into tuning metabolic pathways in extant cells.” 

For more information, visit Dora Tang’s website