Continuous directed evolution in mammalian cells
Year
2021
Project team
Matthew Shoulders & Amit Choudhary with Andrew Sabol and Amanuella Mengiste
Biomolecules
have impacts from pharmaceuticals to biotech
Mammalian proteins
difficult to direct through current methods
New system
would enable rapid evolution of more proteins
New possibilities in biomedicine
Biomolecules engineered through directed evolution can have immense impacts, from pharmaceuticals to biotechnologies and beyond. Currently, directed evolution campaigns are performed in test tubes, bacteria or yeast. This approach can be tremendously problematic for most mammalian proteins or proteins intended to function in mammalian cells. This project strives to enable the rapid and continuous directed evolution of high-value protein targets, such as genome editors and molecular sensors, directly in mammalian cells. The system would allow researchers to target a wider range of proteins, opening new possibilities in biomedicine and biotechnology.