Microreactors for synthetic biology

Enhancing micro-bioreactors for application in synthetic biology.

Synthetic biology is the engineering of biology: the synthesis of complex, biologically based, or inspired, systems which display functions which do not exist naturally in nature. 

Thus synthetic biology provides a complementary perspective from which to consider and utilise the behaviour of molecules and their activity inside living cells. Synthetic biology applications are currently limited by the scope of supporting engineering systems.

At the University of Hertfordshire we are working closely with the Biochemical Engineering Group at UCL. Specifically, we are investigating enhanced bioreactors and supporting integrated engineering systems to broaden the applicability of synthetic biology to existing and future applications.

We employ fluid mechanical analysis including CFD modelling techniques and rapid prototyping fabrication processes to realise a next generation of microreactors.