We began by generalizing synthetic biology protocols into three key stages:
- Isolation: Acquiring the desired genetic material
- Modification: Manipulated or processing genetic material
- Quantification: Measuring the success of the previous two stages
In the existing fields of microfluidics, each of these stages is taken care of on individual chips. However, when it comes time to replicate a full synbio procedure using these chips - it becomes difficult to “fit” them together realistically. This is due to the fact that most chips:
- Fabrication using different and complicated techniques such as soft lithography
- Operated using varying hardware
- Lack thorough documentation required to run them
- Do not have easily accessible design files
After consultation with researchers at BU’s Biological Design Center, we were able to identify nine essential synthetic biology protocols and generalize them into these three categories. After confirming that this chip selection was relevant with an iGEM team poll, we moved on to designing and iterating on chips. The resulting design files, fabrication instructions and usage protocols are housed here - easily accessible to synbiologists and structured in a standardised workflow.
