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Synthetic Biology
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:10:19
Abstract
Study of rational engineering for biology, in particular, the design of novel genetic circuits. Topics: Molecular biology (fundamentals, experimental methods, parts, example circuits), engineering design principles (abstraction, modularity), systems modeling and analysis (mechanistic dynamic models, qualitative behavior, robustness), identification and optimization (evolutionary algorithms).
Objective
Students will be able to design genetic circuits and have acquired the fundamentals to participate in the international iGEM competition (see www.syntheticbiology.ethz.ch )
Content
The overall goal of the course is to enable students with either an engineering or a biological background to design genetic circuits along a formalized procedure starting with an abstract design procedure and developing this until the DNA-level. The course contains a crash course on molecular biology laboratory procedures and an introduction into biological and design fundamentals. The main part of the course requires the students to design their own genetic circuit.
Resources
Lecture Notes
Handouts during classes
Literature
Mark Ptashne, A Genetic Switch
General Information
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| lecture with exercise | Synthetic Biology |
|
3 h weekly |