Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
7107657 | Annual Reviews in Control | 2018 | 13 Pages |
Abstract
Synthetic biology is the application of engineering principles to the fundamental components of biology, with the aim of creating systems with novel functionalities that can be used for energy, environment, and medical applications. While the potential impact of this new technology is enormous, there are challenges that we need to overcome before the impact of synthetic biology can be fully realized. Many of these challenges fall beyond the scope of molecular biology and are indeed “system-level” problems, where very little research is being performed. This paper identifies pressing challenges in synthetic biology that can be formulated as systems and control theoretic problems and outlines potentially new systems and control theories/tools that are required to tackle such problems. The aim is to attract more systems and control theorists to collaborate with molecular biologists and biophysicists and help synthetic biology reach its promise. At the same time, engaging the systems and control community more broadly into the rich research opportunities and life-changing applications of synthetic biology may provide added visibility to the field of systems and controls.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Engineering
Control and Systems Engineering
Authors
Domitilla Del Vecchio, Yili Qian, Richard M. Murray, Eduardo D. Sontag,