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SUMMARY:Reprogramming the Genetic Code - Dr Jason Chin\,  Centre for Chemi
 cal & Synthetic Biology\, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
DTSTART:20160518T150000Z
DTEND:20160518T160000Z
UID:TALK62948@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Alice Wood
DESCRIPTION:The information for synthesizing the molecules that allow orga
 nisms to survive and replicate is encoded in genomic DNA. In the cell\, DN
 A is copied to messenger RNA\, and triplet codons (64) in the messenger RN
 A are decoded - in the process of translation - to synthesize polymers of 
 the natural 20 amino acids. This process (DNA RNA protein) describes the c
 entral dogma of molecular biology and is conserved in terrestrial life. \n
 \nWe are interested in re-writing the central dogma to create organisms th
 at synthesize proteins containing unnatural amino acids and polymers compo
 sed of monomer building blocks beyond the 20 natural amino acids. I will d
 iscuss our invention and synthetic evolution of new 'orthogonal' translati
 onal components (including ribosomes and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases) to ad
 dress the major challenges in re-writing the central dogma of biology. I w
 ill also discuss the application of the approaches we have developed for i
 ncorporating unnatural amino acids into proteins and investigating and syn
 thetically controlling diverse biological processes\, with a particular em
 phasis on understanding the role of post-translational modifications.
LOCATION:Wolfson Lecture Theatre\, Department of Chemistry
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