Our Science
Our science builds on 20 years of academic innovation, pioneering breakthroughs in the synthesis of entire recoded genomes and the reprogramming of the protein translation machinery in cells.
Core technologies
Genome Synthesis
From kilobases to megabases - our platform delivers on genome-sized synthetic DNA.
Our proprietary technologies deliver and implement megabase-scale DNA in vivo, providing unique feedback on optimal and suboptimal DNA.
Our platform unlocks the potential for de novo genome synthesis across bacteria, animals, crops and humans.
Engineered Translation
We use bacterial strains to synthesise novel biopolymers, consisting of monomers beyond the 20 canonical amino acids.
Our technology allows exploration of chemical space not accessible to natural biology.
This enables the scalable synthesis of proteins, peptides and other biopolymers made up of non-canonical building blocks.
Techscope
Recoding Biology: The ability to write the entire genome of a cell offers the opportunity to fundamentally alter the way it reads and interprets genetic information. Through refactoring of the genetic code, we can create organisms that effectively speak a different genetic language to all other organisms on earth.
Programmable Biopolymers: Protein translation provides the ultimate paradigm for the production of complex, sequence-defined polymers. By refactoring the genetic code, we expand this paradigm so that we are no longer restricted to the 20 natural amino acids. This allows us to create novel molecules with exotic chemistries, with full control over the order and identity of the building blocks within the sequence. We will turn cells into microscopic discovery engines to identify and produce novel classes of polymers with desirable properties.
Many drugs are currently produced through chemical procedures, which are inherently limited and difficult to scale. We engineer synthetic cells to make molecules that were previously restricted to chemical synthesis or modification, taking the manufacturing process from the chemistry lab to a bioreactor. This provides a greener, scalable solution to address the demand for valuable biomolecules.
Synthetic Genomes: Genomes are the blueprint of organisms; they dictate how a cell utilises resources, and how it senses and responds to the environment. The ability to write genomes by synthesis allows us to tap into sequence space unexplored by evolution, and to build in desirable phenotypes into organisms by design. Our state-of-the-art synthetic genomics platform combines groundbreaking genetic technology with artificial intelligence to create synthetic organisms efficiently and at scale.
Publication highlights:
2023
Spinck, M., Piedrafita, C., Robertson, W.E. et al. Genetically programmed cell-based synthesis of non-natural peptide and depsipeptide macrocycles. Nature chemistry 15, 61–69 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-022-01082-0
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41557-022-01082-0
Zürcher, J.F., Kleefeldt, A.A., Funke, L.F.H. et al. Continuous synthesis of E. coli genome sections and Mb-scale human DNA assembly. Nature (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06268-1
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06268-1
2022
Zürcher, J. F., Robertson, W. E., Kappes, T., Petris, G., Elliott, T. S., Salmond, G. P., & Chin, J. W. (2022). Refactored genetic codes enable bidirectional genetic isolation. Science, 378(6619), 516-523.
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.add8943
2021
Robertson, W. E., Funke, L. F., de la Torre, D., Fredens, J., Elliott, T. S., Spinck, M., (...) & Chin, J. W. (2021). Sense codon reassignment enables viral resistance and encoded polymer synthesis. Science, 372(6546), 1057-1062.
https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.abg3029
2020
Dunkelmann, D. L., Willis, J. C., Beattie, A. T., & Chin, J. W. (2020). Engineered triply orthogonal pyrrolysyl–tRNA synthetase/tRNA pairs enable the genetic encoding of three distinct non-canonical amino acids. Nature chemistry, 12(6), 535-544.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41557-020-0472-x
2019
Wang, K., de la Torre, D., Robertson, W. E., & Chin, J. W. (2019). Programmed chromosome fission and fusion enable precise large-scale genome rearrangement and assembly. Science, 365(6456), 922-926.
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aay0737
Fredens, J., Wang, K., de la Torre, D., Funke, L. F., Robertson, W. E., Christova, Y., (...) & Chin, J. W. (2019). Total synthesis of Escherichia coli with a recoded genome. Nature, 569(7757), 514-518.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1192-5
2018
Oller‐Salvia, B., Kym, G., & Chin, J. W. (2018). Rapid and Efficient Generation of Stable Antibody–Drug Conjugates via an Encoded Cyclopropene and an Inverse‐Electron‐Demand Diels–Alder Reaction. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 57(11), 2831-2834.
