BioBuilder

Today’s synthetic biologists are in the early stages of engineering living cells to help treat diseases, sense toxic compounds in the environment, and produce valuable drugs. With this manual, you can be part of it. Based on the BioBuilder curriculum, this valuable book provides open-access, modular, hands-on lessons in synthetic biology for secondary and post-secondary classrooms and laboratories. It also serves as an introduction to the field for science and engineering enthusiasts.

Developed at MIT in collaboration with award-winning high school teachers, BioBuilder teaches the foundational ideas of the emerging synthetic biology field, as well as key aspects of biological engineering that researchers are exploring in labs throughout the world. These lessons will empower teachers and students to explore and be part of solving persistent real-world challenges.

• Learn the fundamentals of biodesign and DNA engineering
• Explore important ethical issues raised by examples of synthetic biology
• Investigate the BioBuilder labs that probe the design-build-test cycle
• Test synthetic living systems designed and built by engineers
• Measure several variants of an enzyme-generating genetic circuit
• Model “bacterial photography” that changes a strain’s light sensitivity
• Build living systems to produce purple or green pigment
• Optimize baker’s yeast to produce ?-carotene

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Fundamentals of Synthetic Biology
Chapter 2. Fundamentals of Biodesign
Chapter 3. Fundamentals of DNA Engineering
Chapter 4. Fundamentals of Bioethics
Chapter 5. Introduction to the BioBuilder Labs
Chapter 6. Eau That Smell
Chapter 7. iTune Device
Chapter 8. Picture This
Chapter 9. What a Colorful World
Chapter 10. Golden Bread
Appendix A. Laboratory Reagents and Materials