Overview

Our project contributes to synthetic biology in multiple ways through education, in parts development, contribute as a proof of concept and provide novel information. Our team worked to educate different groups of people about the broader concept of synthetic biology and its applications. This included interested laypeople, students, and some of the contacts we made through Human Practices.

We are confident in the potential of our synthetic biology endeavours to tackle intricate health issues, even in areas where modern medicine has made significant inroads. Through the design of an Fc-fusion protein that suppresses NPC1L1, we are crafting a combined therapeutic potential from various biological entities, namely Hedgehog and a high-affinity cholesterol construct, providing a specific and effective method to combating high cholesterol. The fusion methods developed by CholesterLock can pave the way for future scientists and synthetic biologists to utilise the features and capabilities of numerous biomolecules for diverse medical purposes. In addition, CholesterLock represents a novel method to tackle high cholesterol by targeting an established receptor that plays a key role, representing how synthetic biology provides more precise and diverse opportunities to improve therapeutics.

LINKED: linker sequences database web app

The "LINKED" web application addresses a critical and often overlooked aspect of fusion protein design: linker selection. Designing successful recombinant fusion proteins hinges on choosing appropriate linker sequences, and "LINKED" simplifies and accelerates this process. With its extensive database of over 1000 natural linkers, complete with flexibility and hydrophobicity profiles, the application empowers synthetic biologists to make informed decisions in their linker sequence selection. It streamlines the linker search and provides initial linker characteristics, therefore facilitates the development of fusion proteins that meet specific project requirements. Moreover, the collaborative aspect of the platform, including educational resources and user submissions, ensures a continuous expansion of linker sequences data. This is one of the ways our project will be generating novel and useful information for other scientists and the field of synthetic biology.