UC San Diego

Synthetic biology utilizes computer science, physics and molecular biology to create novel gene circuits to further our knowledge of naturally occurring systems. This thesis addresses the construction and observation of a library of synthetic bacterial gene oscillators. The study furthers the characterization of known synthetically designed systems. The library is based on a change in copy number of activator and repressor units in the dual feedback oscillator network. By changing the copy number of activator or repressor units, oscillators with a wide range in periods have been created. Twelve different strains were constructed by varying the origins of replication. Three of the strains contain an integrated repressor unit, acting as a single copy in the cell. A high throughput method to observe the strains has also been created to accompany the library. A custom created microfluidic chip is used to observe the cells using fluorescence microscopy, while an automated tracking program was made to record the oscillations. The library and high throughput method has created data used to further characterize synthetic gene circuits