Redox-Linked Synthetic Biology and Electrogenetics Opens Lines of Communication

Microelectronics has transformed our lives. It has changed the way we collect, process, and transmit information. The intersection between microelectronics and biology has also been transformative – ionic currents that control cardiovascular and neural systems are detected and even corrected using electronics (e.g., EKG & defibrillators). Yet, the microelectronics world has barely “sampled” the vast repertoire of chemical information in our biological world. Take for example the human immune, endocrine, and gastrointestinal systems – they are largely opaque to the methods of electrical sensing and communication. In biology, information is often contained in the <i>structure of its molecules</i> – molecules that move from place to place and based on their structure, convey information and provoke a response.<br/><br/>We envision new processes and deployable products that open the dialogue between biology and microelectronics – that eavesdrop on and manipulate biological systems within their own settings and in ways that speed corrective actions. We view biofabrication and synthetic biology as integral technologies for achieving this vision. Synthetic biology, often visualized as an innovative means for “green” product synthesis through the genetic rearrangement of cells, can also provide a means to connect biological systems with microelectronic devices. Cells can be reprogrammed to close the communication gap that exists between the electrons and photons of devices and the molecules and ions of biology. This is enabled, in part, through redox mediators – biological carriers of electrons that transfer “packets” information to and from electronics. We have suggested the purposeful electronically actuated elicitation of gene expression is “electrogenetics”. Biofabrication, the assembly of biological components using biological means or mimics thereof, offers a means to close the fabrication gap – a gap that stems from the disparity between biological systems, assembled of labile components using built-in error correction, and devices, built of potentially toxic materials using error prevention and byproduct exclusion. Here, innovative materials, electronics, biomolecular and cellular engineering strategies can be developed to mediate “molecular” communication - information transfer to microelectronic systems and back. New systems and devices are continually emerging that integrate abiotic and biological components (e.g, animal-on-a-chip devices, chip based manufacturing systems, etc.) at a hierarchy of length scales. New systems may emerge that eavesdrop on and electronically guide cellular consortia, vastly expanding our synthetic biology repertoire while utilizing increasingly complex raw materials.<br/><br/>We suggest that a great many of our society’s grand challenges in sustainability, food, energy, and medicine may be addressed by developing tools that open lines of communication between the biological and electronics worlds.