Team:Imperial College/Description
In nature, microorganisms do not exist in isolation but interact and cooperate in complex ecosystems, a phenomenon which synthetic biological systems have yet to fully harness. However, technologies that enable the engineering of synthetic ecosystems, or co-cultures, are crucial not only for the study of these natural systems but also for the advancement of synthetic biology. Technology that enables this foundational leap in how we engineer biology will allow the creation of synthetic populations that grow together and work together, unlocking the full potential of multicellular engineering in synthetic biology. From creating antibiotic-free human therapeutics and chemical-free biofertilizer based on microbiome engineering, to reprogrammable and dynamic biomaterials, engineering cooperation into synthetic ecosystems and co-cultures has the potential to change how we use biology forever.
