Control theory for resource-aware engineering of biology
03 February 2025
Abstract
Compared to man-made devices such as computer chips, living systems can be difficult to engineer since they are much more interconnected in non-trivial ways. One such source of interconnectedness is the competition between genes for a finite pool of resources in the cell, which can compromise the predictability, robustness and longevity of biotechnologies.
This talk will outline how control theory methods are aiding in several different aspects of my work on addressing this major challenge in engineering biology. Namely, I will discuss how resource competition phenomena can be predicted and understood using mathematical models which leverage the fact that cells exercise near-optimal control of resource allocation. I will then recount the process of designing a biomolecular controller aimed at mitigating population-wide harmful effects of resource competition. Finally, I will outline my latest work on combining microfluidic cell culturing platforms with real-time automated feedback control in order to experimentally investigate resource competition behaviours of engineered biological systems.
Bio
Kirill Sechkar received a MEng in Biomolecular Engineering at Imperial College London, UK. He's currently pursuing a DPhil under the supervision of Professor Harrison Steel in the Oxford Control Group.
