Seminar: Applications of Control and Robotics in Synthetic Biology, Dr Harrison Steel, University of Oxford

Bio: Harrison Steel is an Associate Professor of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford. His research and team focus on challenges at the intersection of Control, Robotics, and Biotechnology. Examples of past work include: development of open-source laboratory tools such as the Chi.Bio bioreactor platform which is used widely in Academia and Start-up R&D; novel biological feedback control systems designed and implemented in bacteria; theory development and statistical tools for understanding variability and noise in biological networks.

Abstract: Over the past several decades Synthetic Biology - the engineering of biological systems at a genetic level - has emerged as a transformational approach to challenges spanning biomedicine, manufacturing, climate, and other nascent fields. However, major difficulties remain in translating Synthetic Biological systems from laboratory validated designs to practical real-world technologies. Outstanding among these is the challenge of robustness and reliability - how can we design Synthetic Biological systems that behave predictably when deployed beyond carefully controlled laboratory environments? To address this we take inspiration from traditional Control Engineering approaches as well as the regulatory systems observed in nature; both employ feedback and redundancy in design to ensure robust performance. This talk will begin with a brief overview of recent work at the interface of Control and Biotechnology, as well as discussion of outstanding challenges in the field. It will then investigate several case-studies of recent research in our laboratory, demonstrating how control and automation can be used to better design, build, and ultimately apply engineered biotechnologies in diverse applications, ranging from environmentally-friendly bio-manufacturing to combating the spread of antimicrobial-resistant infections.