1 reply to this topic

[manofsan]

Here's an interesting article:

http://www.physorg.com/news3638.html

Using computational methods followed by combinatorial testing, a hormonal receptor has been engineered that binds to a synthetic molecule.

It makes me wonder if one day we won't be able to design entire genomes from scratch, starting with only the highest-level specifications for the desired characteristics of an organism. The Systems Biology approach, as you've called it.

In complex microchip design, there are software tools used to achieve Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI). One day, when suitable software tools are developed, they will allow for the design of Very Large Scale Metabolic Networks. There will be an interplay between the computational portion of the design process and the combinatorial testing portion of it (accelerated Darwinism, or guided Darwinism?). The combinatorial testing will be streamlined through lab-on-chip devices. This will allow the engineering concept of Rapid Prototyping to be applied to the biological world.

Comments?

[manofsan]

Oh yeah, just as how large computer programs are built up in a compartmentalized/encapsulated-object approach where each object is specified in terms of datatype input/output, this approach will similarly be used for organism genome design.

The design approach will be based around cells as the main objects, with organelles/receptors/etc as their subcomponents. These cells would be specified in terms of their external inputs/outputs required to sustain the larger metabolic network. Once the genomic codes of all of the necessary cell types have been defined, a Compiler will combine/meld all these different genomic codes into a Master Genome which will be the basis for the Zygotal Root cell. The zygotal root cell with its master genome would be capable of multiplying and suitably differentiating into all the required cell types, to spawn the organism in a natural fashion (biological bootstrapping).