Morphogenetic Engineering
Morphogenetic Engineering is a field of research that explores the modeling and building of “self-architecturing” systems and focuses on the programmability and controllability of self-assembling agents. The field models self-organization in biological systems with a view to export their self-formation capabilities to engineered systems.
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The synthetic Notch system (SynNotch) was developed by Wendell Lim at UC San Francisco and patented to Cell Design Labs. The SynNotch system, based on the Notch cell signalingcell signaling system, has been used to program cells to self-organize into a two-layered sphere. One group of cells were engineered to express Notch on their surface and another group of cells were engineered with a custom synNotch receptor, which detected Notch on the other cell group. When together, the first cells activated cadherin proteins in the second cells so that they clustered together to form the two-layered sphere. The ability of these spheres to self-repair when damaged was also demonstrated.
Embryomorphic engineering, abbreviated EMBENG, is an area of morphogenetic engineering where the spatiotemporal interplay of genetic switches and chemical gradients that create an embryo is abstracted toward artificial systems. In Doursat’s lab, researchers model and simulate principles of self-patterning and self-assembly during embryonic development. An embryomorphic model combines multicellular biological development principles where agents are guided by genetic instructions. Chemical gradient diffusion provides positional information, gene regulation triggers differentiation and patterning, cell divisioncell division creates structural constraints.
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