Research project
Data-driven multi-scale engineering of cell fate decisions
- Start date: 14 February 2024
- End date: 13 February 2027
- Funder: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
- Partners and collaborators: Osaka University
- Primary investigator: Prof. Richard Bayliss
- Co-investigators: Professor John Ladbury
- External co-investigators: Professor Mariko Okada (PI, Osaka University); Alexis Barr (Imperial College) Reiko Tanaka (Imperial College) Neil McDonald The Francis Crick Institute Katrin Rittinger The Francis Crick Institute Louise Walport (The Francis Crick Institute and Imperial College) Nobuyasu Koga (Osaka University) Satoshi Toda (Osaka University) Shinya Kuroda (Tokyo University) Hirohide Saito (Tokyo University) Yumi Konagaya (RIKEN institute)
- Postgraduate students: Dr. Iosifina Sampson
Project title
Data-driven multi-scale engineering of cell fate decisions
Description
Our body’s cells survive and proliferate by sensing and responding to environmental cues through a series of signals that travel through molecular pathways and modify their internal functions. These responses work alongside other signals that are responding to different cues and can be seemingly random.
Until now, understanding of cell signalling and cell fate has focused on tracing these isolated individual pathways, leading to an incomplete understanding of complex cellular regulation that includes multiple signalling pathways and diverse responses to stimuli.
This makes it sometimes difficult to predict how cells will respond to therapeutic drugs that target the signalling processes. As a result, there is a huge burden of drug discovery research that frequently fails to materialise at clinical level. To understand the heterogeneous and unpredictable responses to therapeutics, a holistic approach is needed to grasp the intricate communication networks involved in cell fate.
Research overview
The Bioengage project will undertake international and interdisciplinary research into creating engineered cells that respond to natural and artificial triggers with a pre-programmed fate determined by a synthetic circuit.
To achieve this, we will combine cell biology with systems modelling, de novo protein engineering, novel molecular tools and synthetic circuits. The engineering process will involve data-driven modelling of cell fate pathways, and the design and implementation of synthetic components and circuits.
If successful, they will be able to exert a level of control over what is naturally a random and unpredictable element in cells that causes resistance to current drug treatments.
Research in the Bioengage project will eventually enable us to test ideas about how to overcome resistance to treatments at the molecular level and lead to ideas for better treatments that block tumour relapse by forcing cells to respond to drug treatment with a predictable and reproducible outcome.
This international collobaration is supported by Japan Science and Technology Agency via Osaka University.
News
Leeds shares £1.2 million funding award for breakthrough UK/Japan cell engineering research project