ENGRI 1125

Engineering Life: An Introduction to Synthetic Biology

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2026-2027 Catalog.

Synthetic biology (syn bio) sits at the intersection of chemical engineering, biology, and design, applying engineering principles to reprogram living systems and molecular machines for new purposes, from producing lifesaving therapeutics and sustainable food ingredients to building programmable biosensors. Introduces first-year students to the core toolkit of chemical and biomolecular engineering (CBE) as applied to syn bio: DNA and protein engineering, gene circuit design and metabolic pathway engineering, and engineered cells, cell lines and cell-free systems. Students will encounter both living cellular systems, which power applications like engineered cell therapies and cell-based biomanufacturing, and cell-free platforms, which enable building and testing biological function in a test tube without growing living cells at all. Through hands-on labs, students will design a simple genetic circuit, engineer a protein for a new function, and use a cell-free expression system to rapidly prototype a biological design, the same approach ChemE's use to develop new diagnostics, therapeutic proteins and vaccines, engineered cell therapies, and biomanufacturing platforms. Exploration of career pathways in CBE and syn bio to understand the wide range of what ChemE's do in practice.

Last 4 Terms Offered (None)

Learning Outcomes

• Identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, biology, and mathematics.
• Design a genetic circuit or engineered protein/enzyme that meets a specified need with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
• Perform a hands-on cell-free protein expression or enzyme engineering experiment, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
• Understand current challenges and opportunities for careers in synthetic biology and chemical and biomolecular engineering.
• Function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
• Communicate effectively with a range of audiences.

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