▷ 제목: 합성생물학 기반 On-demand, All-in-one 기능을 탑재한 신개념 인공세포 첨단화 기술 개발

▷ 내용: Towards Creating Bespoke Yeast Cells for Useful Real-World Applications

Synthetic biology aims to redesign and reconstruct living systems for understanding life or for useful real-world applications. Numerous tools and strategies have been developed to rationally design, build, and manage cellular processes and networks in a modular fashion for customized biological functions. These advances have paved the way for the successful engineering of microbial cells capable of performing useful tasks, ranging from manufacturing chemicals to detecting and degrading toxins. The challenge now lies with synthetic biologists to conceive a new generation of powerful tools and creative approaches for engineering microbial cells that can carry out a broader range of highly specific functions.

Addressing this challenge, my recent research focuses on engineering yeast cells using organelles as a means of controlling cellular functions. Subcellular organelles in eukaryotes, including yeast, are distinct and specialized physiochemical compartments. They isolate specific metabolic reactions from the cytosol, regulate complex metabolic networks, and enhance the efficiency of specific cellular functions. I begin by presenting an overview of my notable research achievements in yeast subcellular compartmentalization, where subcellular organelles are transformed into microfactories capable of producing valuable chemicals. Additionally, I introduce emerging strategies for yeast organelle engineering that successfully overcome the inherent capacity and volume limitations of organelles, thereby enhancing the performance of compartmentalized pathways. This innovative approach enables cells to perform customized functions in a designed manner.

I believe that such innovation has the potential not only to advance our understanding of various cellular processes but also to expand the functional repertoire of complex natural living systems.