Diercks Lab | Synthetic Evolution

Synthetic Evolution

The interdisciplinary research program of the Diercks Lab leverages techniques ranging from synthetic and chemical biology to nanoscience and materials chemistry to accelerate the directed evolution of biomacromolecules in vivo and establish darwinian evolution of abiotic nanoparticles in vitro.

Orthogonal Replication

We have developed an orthogonal replication system in E. coli based on the replisome of bacteriophage T7. The orthogonality to host replication enables fundamental alteration of the T7 replisome's properties (e.g., high mutation rate or replication of unnatural genetic polymers)

Continuous Evolution

We have engineered a mutagenic T7 replisome to mutate target genes 100,000-fold faster than genomic mutation. We leverage this system for the continuous evolution of glycan-binding and -editing proteins, enzyme therapeutics, new-to-nature metabolic pathways, and for tool development for genetic code expansion.

Darwinian Nanoparticles

We are developing techniques to expand directed evolution from biomacromolecules to abiotic nanoparticles. Iterative rounds replication, diversification, and selection of libraries of such "Darwinian Nanoparticles" will be used to develop next generation drug- and gene delivery vehicles.