BIO ENG 10 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Plasmid, Biosafety, Synthetic Biology
Document Summary
Gene expression: transcription start site, binding site for rna polymerase, binding site for transcription factors, terminato r to end transcription. Transcription factors: proteins that bind to specific dna sequences, promotes or inhibits transcription, behavior can be alte red by small molecule binding. Synthetic biology - altered dna -> new rna -> new protein -> new function. Nucleotides -> parts (0. 1-3 kb): single piece of dna with distinct function -> devices (1-20 kb): combination of parts -> genomes (0. 5-10 mb) Parts - maker of the part needs to know how the part was built; user of the part needs to know how it interacts with other parts. In terms of dna, focus on discrete function instead of the nucleotide bases, see how things can be switched in and out. Opens up the doors to computer-aided design (cad) Cad for biology - tools for design, generate commands for automated gene assemblers, emphasis on part relationships, biosafety warnings to guid e users.
