Synthetic biology: perspectives from artificial life

My work is focused on understanding the fundamental principles of living and evolving systems through experimental science. To this end, I build synthetic systems where dynamic life-like properties emerge when self-assembled systems are pushed away from equilibrium. I will present an experimental model of bottom-up synthetic biology: chemically-active oil droplets. This system has the ability to sense, metabolize and the potential to evolve. Specifically, I will present how sensory-motor coupling can produce chemotactic motile droplets. In addition I will present how we add information to our supramolecular structures in the form of ssDNA that then governs the assembly and disassembly of higher order architectures.