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A universal control system for synthetic gene networks

A module for implementing robust feedback control in synthetic cellular networks has been reported. Its design is first proved mathematically to be universal for all networks, and then implemented in living cells.
  1. Noah Olsman

    1. Noah Olsman is in the Department of Systems Biology, Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.

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  2. Johan Paulsson

    1. Johan Paulsson is in the Department of Systems Biology, Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.

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Anyone who has lived without central heating and cooling has had to learn the right combinations of opening windows, turning on radiators or adjusting blinds to get the temperature just right. Modern thermostats eliminate all that: you set them once and the built-in controllers do the rest, regardless of changes in the weather or the type of home. The temperature might still vary a little, but as long as the heaters and coolers are designed correctly, it should vary around the set point, rather than merely taking the edge off the cold or heat.

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Nature 570, 452-453 (2019)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-01772-9

References

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