“It is only by means of the sciences of life that the quality of life can be radically changed. The sciences of matter can be applied in such a way that they will destroy life or make the living of it impossibly complex and uncomfortable; but, unless used as instruments by the biologists and psychologists, they can do nothing to modify the natural forms and expression of life itself.”
‒ Aldous Huxley in Brave New World
Reading these sentences in Brave New World, it is easy to think of synthetic biology. Synthetic biology is a “science of life” that uses concepts, tools, and strategies from physics, engineering, and chemistry—the “sciences of matter”—to modify nature and improve lives.
While we may disagree with Huxley’s rather pessimistic view of the physical sciences, it is remarkable to find in a novel written almost a century ago a vision that resonates strongly with modern synthetic biology: the idea that the sciences of life, empowered by the sciences of matter, can fundamentally improve human well-being.
In our lab, we apply synthetic biology to develop molecular tools that help us better understand biological processes and steer the behaviour of proteins—and, consequently, cells—to create useful applications, from targeted cancer therapies to systems for water detoxification. In recent years, many researchers and institutions have increasingly adopted the term “engineering biology” to reflect the maturation of the field: synthetic biology has moved beyond its initial exploratory phase and is now poised to deliver tangible benefits to society.
We are proud to contribute to this effort by developing new tools and technologies at the interface of biology and engineering, with the aim of improving human health and promoting a more sustainable future.
Explore the topics we are currently working on:
Optogenetics
Inteins
Targeted cancer therapy
We warmly thank our current and past funding sources:
DFG (past)
BMBF (past)
BIOSS (past)
CIBSS (past)
ERC (past)
EUCOR