To advance that objective, they’ll create a library of more than 10,000 modular DNA parts, derived from bacteria, to serve as biological building blocks; develop an automated process to systematically assemble and use these parts to perform specific biological functions; and apply this process to the production of siderophores, chemicals that bind to metal surfaces and form a protective layer to prevent corrosion, a widespread and costly problem faced by the Department of Defense, which routinely operates in highly corrosive environments. Siderophores could be sprayed on ships, planes and other military vehicles and equipment to prolong their operational lifetimes. “Our goal is to engineer bacteria that can create siderophore compounds in a more tuned, engineered way so that they are better performing, cheaper to manufacture and faster to produce” says Densmore. “I’ll use the Eugene programming language my group has developed to create new gene clusters with machine learning techniques that use rules to bias new designs away from past failures and toward future successes.”
SECURITY & DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH
BU COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SOLDIER TECHNOLOGY
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