TARPOL

Targeting environmental pollution with engineered microbial systems á la carte

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Synthetic Biology-SB- deals with rational combination of biological properties with central elements of engineering design. By merging the genetic tool box already available with engineering disciplines & computer sciences there is a great opportunity for a new approach to environmental pollution problems through application of modelling techniques & organizing development of novel biological systems across a hierarchical architecture with defined & standardized interfaces. However this faces 3 major bottlenecks: -The scientific & technical European contributors on SB have so far failed to recognise their latent capacity to shape a fresh discipline at their very interface -SB still lacks a comprehensive language & shared conceptual frame for the description of minimally functional biological parts -The development of SB touches on social sensitivities related to recreating life-in-the-test-tube which threatens to re-awaken the GMO controversy. Thus scaring off the necessary industrial input in the field. To tackle these challenges, we propose a 2-year program run by a large expert group to coordinate the fragmented efforts & direct this discipline into the most industrially beneficial and socially viable directions. We aim to energise and mobilise the European scientific, technical & social professionals to empower a new capacity to exploit properties present in Biological systems for environmental issues. TARPOL will recruit the required environmental competences from neighbouring disciplines and will set up a number of material and computational resources for advanced refactoring of biological systems. We will establish a frame consensus for procedure and parts standardization and pursue the awareness and eventual insertion of SB into the Environmental Biotechnology context by exploring its industrial interface. Finally, we will pursue the establishment of a solid European Research Agenda on SB-for-Environment at the service of implementing the KBBE vision'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Synthetic biology is a new discipline that combines cell biology with the rational approach of engineering in order to produce useful biological tools and processes. Researchers have taken steps to standardise the field by developing databases and toolkits as well as increasing collaboration and communication between researchers.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Synthetic biology offers the potential for new solutions to challenges in health, energy and especially environmental pollution. However, until now, the field has been held back by a fragmented research community and a lack of basic functional tools.

'Targeting environmental pollution with engineered microbial systems a la carte' (TARPOL) was an EU-funded initiative for directing and coordinating synthetic biology research in Europe. The project included a number of EU institutions to encourage more collaboration and interdisciplinary projects in the field.

The main aims of TARPOL were to promote synthetic biology as a discipline both publicly and academically, and to develop material, technical and software resources. Project activities included several workshops and conferences, as well as research and database development at various institutions.

TARPOL produced several useful molecular and software tools for synthetic biologists. Molecular tools included streamlined genetic systems and selection of useful strains of microorganisms. Software included a database of useful genes and genetic elements, as well as computational tools for studying microbial physiology.

By combining the genetic tool box already available with engineering disciplines and computer sciences, TARPOL helped spur new approaches to environmental pollution problems. New synthetic biology tools could potentially be applied to, for example, carbon capture, storage and recycling, as well as soil and water bioremediation.