Synthetic Biology: New Genes, New Proteins
A completed model of a polypeptide. Peaks on the lab quest illustrate when bonds between the Amnio Acids break.Copyright D. Ganey 2025
This activity introduces students to synthetic biology by having them explore how DNA, RNA, and proteins are connected, and how scientists engineer new biological materials. Students begin by reverse-engineering the genetic code of a protein and then constructing a physical model of a silk-amyloid-mussel foot protein using amino acid models. They test the protein's cohesive strength using a Vernier force probe to measure the forces required to break the bonds holding the protein together. Using the engineering design process, students then redesign the protein by changing the amino acid sequence while working within realistic biological constraints. Finally, students build, test, and refine their novel protein designs to determine whether they can create a stronger and more cohesive synthetic biomaterial.
Synthetic biologists redesign genetic information to modify biological systems and address societal challenges. At its core, synthetic biology involves engineering DNA sequences that produce novel proteins with useful properties. These engineered proteins (polypeptides) can be applied across medicine, materials science, energy, and other fields.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Describe the processes of transcription and translation.
- Explain how a change in a DNA base pair can alter the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide, potentially changing its 3D structure and function.
- Construct a novel polypeptide and determine the corresponding mRNA and DNA sequences that would code for that protein.