Can we actually design and engineer biological machines? The emerging field of synthetic biology suggests that this process is far easier than some may expect. In fall 2006, a team with nearly a dozen Michigan undergraduates successfully competed in an international competition to create synthetic biological systems, so you can too. Read more about the competition.

This course is primarily directed toward undergraduates interested in engineering, biology, physical sciences, art, and business. Graduate students in these areas are also welcome to participate. The course content will cover the design, fabrication, informatics, and modeling of synthetic genetic systems. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the topic, students will work in groups to help train their peers in complementary skill sets.

The course is a mixture of lectures, hands on wet lab experience, and computing lab experience. The goal is to provide students with a deep understanding of the techniques and literature surrounding synthetic biology.

The course will have a final group project in which a team of students propose a novel synthetic genetic system following the template of the intercollegiate genetically engineered machines(iGEM) competition (http://parts2.mit.edu/)