Our mission is to create artificial biodiversity by applying a bold mix of experimental, chemical, biophysical and biological methods.
Our motivations are:
push the boundaries of life’s chemical composition and biochemical principles, and to ultimately understanding life’s origins.
to develop bio-based and bio-inspired technologies that benefit society.
Our approach integrates bioorthogonal chemistry, directed evolution of enzymes, the adaptation and cultivation of cell populations, and the exploration of chemical models. These elements define our core research areas:
Genetic Code Reprogramming & Expansion:
Incorporation of non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) into proteins.
Orthogonal systems for specialized protein translation.
Evolution of genetic code to create synthetic enzymes and organisms.
Protein and Proteome Engineering:
Engineering proteins for enhanced stability, folding, and function.
Biophysical studies of protein design and structural dynamics.
Integration of machine learning for directed evolution and gene library design.
Metabolic Engineering:
Designing synthetic metabolic pathways for specialized functions.
Enhancing organismal metabolism for biotechnology applications.
Synthetic Biology & Xenobiology:
Creation of orthogonal biological systems with genetic firewall.
Development of synthetic metabolism and reprogrammed genetic codes to expand life's biochemical potential.
Ethical, philosophical, and educational aspects of synthetic and xenobiology.
The concept of the genetic firewall by Diwo & Budisa (2018): Alternative Biochemistries for Alien Life: Basic Concepts and Requirements for the Design of a Robust Biocontainment System in Genetic Isolation. Genes (Basel), 10(1):17; doi: 10.3390/genes10010017.
