BGI, University of Edinburgh Partner to Synthesize Synthetic Yeast Chromosome
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BGI and the University of Edinburgh have signed a collaboration agreement to pursue an ambitious synthetic biology “construction” project worth up to £1Million. The two institutes will team up to synthesize synthetic yeast chromosome VII in the Edinburgh Genome Foundry, recently funded by the UK’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and co-directed by Prof. Susan Rosser and Dr. Patrick Yizhi Cai.
Synthetic biology is a new emerging discipline, which is motivated by advances in molecular cell sciences, systems biology and the advent of two foundational technologies - DNA sequencing and DNA synthesis. The purpose of synthetic biology is to design synthetic biological systems by utilizing systematically engineered micro-organisms for the production of biofuels and drugs, providing a unique opportunity for researchers to study many profound life science questions and generate vital industrial applications.
Faculty members from Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology (SynthSys) at the University of Edinburgh and at BGI will work together on synthesizing chromosome VII as part of the International Synthetic Yeast Project (Sc2.0).The Sc2.0 PROJECT, initiated by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, is the first synthetic eukaryotic genome project. The goal is to recreate the chromosome of yeast, a widely applied industrial microbe, so that it can be manipulated for useful purposes. The two parties will join forces to create an internationally competitive and innovative research team in the field of synthetic biology and work towards a breakthrough in the technology of artificially constructed yeast genome. In the collaboration agreement, the two parties will work towards gaining strategic advantages in automated synthesis of genomes, meeting the demands for cultivating new synthetic biology industries. Synthesized chromosome VII genome’s success various functions will be developed to be widely used in the production of chemicals, energy and food to maintain and enhance human health and the environment.
Dr Patrick Cai, a Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, is leading the Sc2.0 project at Edinburgh and Yue Shen, BGI’s Synthetic Biology Unit leader, is currently studying for a PhD in Dr. Cai’s lab. Both institutes will benefit from this working relationship to accelerate the research of synthetic yeast.
The University of Edinburgh and BGI signed a memorandum of understanding with the aim to enhance collaborations between three genomics facilities in Edinburgh and BGI earlier this year. This is not the only collaboration between the University of Edinburgh and a Chinese Institute. In June 2014, the University signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Tianjin University around research and teaching in synthetic and systems biology.
Professor Peter Swain, Director of SynthSys says, “As in the UK, synthetic biology is a key area of investment for China and there is a substantial interest in collaboration and knowledge exchange that we are keen to participate in. We are thrilled to be working with the genomics giant BGI on such a landmark project in synthetic biology. ”
"Synthetic biology is a new emerging research field, which provides a unique opportunity for researchers to answer many fundamental questions in the life sciences.. When biological researchers are transitioning from the DNA sequence of an organism to a synthetic genome, researchers will face more challenges and opportunities with synthetic biology," stated Professor Huanming Yang, Chairman of BGI.
