Abstract
A cell in our body is a type of molecular robot, and is controlled by an intracellular signal transduction system consisting of biochemical reactions. Some dysfunctions in the system occasionally result in serious conditions such as canceration. This condition is characterized by problems in the cellular control system, and in a cancer cell, biochemical reactions become unstable. This does not just apply to cancer cells; various diseases are caused by changes in the control system. If we establish a technique to control a biochemical reaction system according to our purpose, it will open the door for breakthrough developments such as “smart” drugs that lack side effects for various diseases, and drastically change our way of life through a medical revolution.
In BIOMOD2014, our team focuses on how to implant a control system to regulate biochemical reactions. More precisely, we propose (i) a design of a reaction scheme that regulates the concentration of a target molecule, and (ii) an innovative method to specify the function of a permeable membrane on a non-permeable one. See the Design and Experiments pages for details.
What is this going to be used for? Just imagine applying our method to an uncontrollable cancer cell. You can find the answer in our YouTube video. Let’s go on a trip into the world of tomorrow that Marco is moaning about…