Synthetic biotechnology provides more research methods for complex life systems.

The principle of entropy increase in physics tells us that the entropy of isolated systems always increases gradually.

In other words, anything that does not communicate with the outside world will inevitably change from an orderly state to an disordered state, and from a certain and regular state to an irregular and chaotic state.

The principle of entropy increase reveals the ultimate law of the evolution of all things in the universe, but life constantly changes "disorder" into "order". Schrodinger said in What is Life, "People live against the law of entropy increase, and life lives by negative entropy."

So when life science meets physics, what sparks will it collide with?

Sheng Hui Synthetic Biology invited Fu, a researcher from the Center for Quantitative Synthetic Biology, Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Studies, China Academy of Sciences, to share with us his cross-cutting research in the fields of physics and synthetic biology.

Fu graduated from the Physics Department of Zhejiang University with a bachelor's degree, and received a doctorate in physics from the University of Hong Kong. Later, he went to the Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology of Yale University for postdoctoral training to study the coordination mechanism of bacterial chemotaxis. 20 16 came to the independent laboratory established by the synthesis institute to carry out research.

The main research direction of the laboratory is to use quantitative synthetic biology method, combine mathematical model with quantitative experiment, and study the basic problems in biological system, including the formation mechanism of ordered structure of biological space expansion system.

Fu told synbiotics that the ultimate goal of synthetic biology is to design and manufacture a life system on the basis of understanding the principle of life system. This process is not simply to combine biological components such as nucleic acid and protein, but to follow certain design principles, so that after each component is combined into a whole, it will produce functions that a single component does not have, which can also be called "emergence" of biological functions. However, the design principle of life system is not completely clear at present.

This is also a problem that needs to be solved in the future development of synthetic biology. In September this year, at the symposium on "Quantitative Synthetic Biology" held in Xiangshan, Beijing (Symposium s64 of Xiangshan Science Conference), more than 40 experts and scholars conducted in-depth and constructive discussions on the basic theoretical research, technological innovation and engineering application of synthetic biology and China's development strategy in the field of synthetic biology.

Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Director Liu of the Institute of Synthetic Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences recently wrote a summary (click to enter: China welcomes an important opportunity for the development of quantitative synthetic biology), proposing to build a synthetic biology system in which theory (rational design), technology (synthetic ability) and engineering (automation platform) complement each other, so as to promote the transformation of synthetic biology research from qualitative, descriptive and partial research to quantitative, theoretical and holistic research.

Fu Shuo, "The core scientific problem raised at the meeting is how to understand the generation of life function and the principle of life system operation in order to achieve real engineering rational design, and how to study life system is actually very similar to studying complex systems in physical science."

The Nobel Prize in Physics in 20021was awarded to Shu Lang Zhenguo and Klaus? Hasselman and George? Parisi won prizes for "physically simulating the earth's climate, quantifying variability and reliably predicting global warming" and "discovering the interaction between disorder and fluctuation in the physical system from atomic to planetary scale". These two studies provide a theoretical basis for understanding the two complex systems of the earth's climate and the universe.

Complex systems are full of randomness and disorder, so are life systems. Fu Shuo, "Life system may be one of the most complicated systems in nature, and many researchers with statistical physics background are gradually turning to study life system. Synthetic biotechnology can provide more means for the study of complex life systems. "

Recently, team Fu published an article in eLife magazine, revealing the coordination mechanism of bacterial cluster migration through orderly queues.

Just like the great migration of animals in East Africa in the macro world, microorganisms will migrate in groups in the micro world. Bacteria can turn flagella and swim in liquid. Under the attraction of chemokines, bacteria can swim randomly in all directions and slowly approach the direction with high concentration of chemokines.

Different bacterial individuals have different sensitivities to chemical attractants, so the migration speed is also different. When bacteria migrate as a group, although the bacteria that are not sensitive to the concentration of chemical attractants are at the end of the group, they are not left behind, but closely follow the sensitive bacteria to form a compact and orderly queue and move together at the same speed.

Previously, Fu's laboratory cooperated with the laboratory of Thierry Emonet of Yale University and found that this orderly queue was very important for bacterial colony migration. However, the individual movement of bacteria is always changing the swimming direction. How does such an orderly group marching queue "stand out" from the disorderly individual random movement?

In order to answer this question, the researchers tracked the movement track of each bacterium. The results show that the reciprocating movement of a single bacterium in the population is related to the concentration of chemokines, that is, the concentration of chemokines at the back of the queue is low, and bacteria are more likely to be attracted by the chemokines in front and swim forward. When bacteria reach the front, they lose the motivation to move forward, because the concentration of chemical attractants is similar everywhere.

It is precisely because of this mechanism that individuals with different mobility can coexist harmoniously in the same group and advance at the same average speed. Furthermore, the researchers used synthetic biology to artificially adjust the sensitivity of bacteria and successfully verified the role of coordination mechanism. This discovery can not only explain the group migration behavior of many creatures, but also provide a reference for more complex group cooperation in human society.

After more than 20 years of rapid development, synthetic biology is also experiencing a process from "disorder" to "order", which is not only reflected in the research direction of scientific research, but also in policy layout, capital market and many other aspects. Academician and Director Liu also pointed out in the article that "in order to promote the applied research of synthetic biology, interdisciplinary and industrial support should be strengthened" and "after solving the basic theory construction and technical concept verification, the industrialization process should be accelerated.

Fu said that the synthetic bio-industry in China is still in the initial stage, but it has shown a rapid development trend. At present, China's synthetic bio-related industries mainly focus on DNA synthesis, bio-based materials, amino acids and vitamins, industrial enzyme preparations and other application fields. A number of emerging companies in sub-sectors such as Kingsley Bio, Kaiser Bio and Huaheng Bio have emerged.

After solving the basic theory construction and technical concept verification, China urgently needs to speed up the industrialization process. Relying on the platform of automation facilities and innovative modes such as "upstairs and downstairs", "double loop coupling" drives the exploration of "whole process innovation ecological chain". Under the dual impetus of market and capital, we will accelerate the formation of technical barriers in China and shape the ability to "get stuck" and not to be "stuck".

Therefore, China's domestic production, learning, research and politics should be integrated and coordinated to participate in the construction of national strategic scientific and technological strength; Mobilize multi-agents to participate in the layout of national strategic scientific and technological forces in the field of synthetic biology in various forms; Actively promote the right to speak internationally, participate in the formulation of international synthetic biology rules and standards, and demonstrate the scientific and technological strength of synthetic biology in China. With the support and guarantee of policies, * * * will promote the healthy integrated development of synthetic biotechnology, industry and education, and finally give back to the society and China's social economy.

Fu Shuo, in this respect, the logic of scientific research layout of advanced research institutes is demand traction and interdisciplinary. On the one hand, adhere to demand traction, that is, face the major national demand and the main economic battlefield, and adjust according to the actual needs of the country and Shenzhen in different development periods; On the other hand, it is normal for scientific research to adhere to interdisciplinary subjects, and the establishment of interdisciplinary subjects adheres to "problem-oriented". This scientific research layout is very different from the traditional first-class disciplines and two disciplines, and it is interdisciplinary and integrated innovation. Due to the development of modern science, the interdisciplinary trend is becoming more and more obvious. It is impossible to solve major scientific problems by one person alone, and it needs multiple disciplines to tackle key problems together, and synthetic biology has officially become the frontier discipline of cross-integration.

On the basis of condensing the talent team, the high comprehensive institute has gradually built a full chain enterprise cultivation model of "scientific research-transformation-industry". A group of young scientists who have returned from their studies and cutting-edge scientific and technological talents from top universities in the world, such as Harvard, Yale and Duke, have gathered on the platform of the Institute of Synthetic Biology, which has strengthened the research strength of synthetic biology in China. "

At present, the overall construction of the research institute has entered the track of healthy and benign operation, and initially formed a model of "scientific research+facilities+colleges+industries+capital", which has formed an agglomeration effect in Shenzhen. Shenzhen has become the core town of synthetic biology in China and even the world, and the development of synthetic biology industry has inherent advantages.

Write it at the end

In the layout of the research institute, an important link is the first synthetic biology competition held in China this year (hereinafter referred to as the "competition"), which brings together the top co-organizers to tear down the "high wall" between industry and academia, aiming at bringing together talents representing the present and the future, and building the top synthetic biology competition and innovation incubation platform in China. At present, the registration of the innovation contest has ended the team creation and entered the experiment and preparation period.

Fu is also a judge of this competition. Speaking of this competition, he thinks that the competition is only a starting point, and the whole race may be very short. Therefore, it is necessary to do a good job in scientific research after the competition and make a more complete project, which will help the participating students embark on the road of scientific research. In addition, the contest also set up an entrepreneurial contest to promote the transformation of scientific research results. At present, the registration of the Entrepreneurship Competition is in progress, and the deadline is 65438+ 10/8 in 2022. Teams interested in participating in the Entrepreneurship Competition should register in time.

He also looks forward to the emergence of some interdisciplinary projects, such as computers, mathematics, law and philosophy, and hopes that more novel ideas will emerge to promote the innovation of synthetic biology.