Contact: Yaakov (Kobi) Benenson ● B105, Bauer Bld, 7 Divinity Ave Cambridge MA 02138 USA

Phone: 617-384-7791; e-mail: kbenenson at cgr.harvard.edu

Components of a living organism, from organs and tissues to single cells and subcellular compartments, exchange and process numerous molecular signals in order to coordinate their activity. When these components fail, they generate characteristic signals that often trigger self-repair processes but can also cause disease when left unchecked. Engineered biomolecular systems that complement natural defense and repair mechanisms could lead to novel diagnostic and therapeutic tools. We call these systems “biological automata” because they resemble electromechanical automata in that they sense disease-related signals and convert them to a response using biological computing modules. Biological automata might be constructed as anything from molecular networks operating inside cells to “programmed” cells and their networks operating in organisms.

 

Our research focuses on automata that function on the level of individual cells. They comprise sensor, computation and actuation molecular modules. We develop these modules in parallel and integrate them into fully functional automata. We use human tissue culture as a testing ground for our systems; in the same time extensive preliminary studies are done in vitro