Grant: Project Grant

Customized cell sensing of soluble molecules is one of the main challenges of cell design. Finding ways to do it would allow the engineering of therapeutic cells that autonomously sense engineer-specified disease or injury signals, and precisely deploy therapeutic or repair functions. We will design modular receptor systems that expand cell capabilities to recognize their environment. We will combine antibody recognition domains with different components of the Notch signalling system and redesign key interfaces so that the system can recognize soluble molecules. Using antibodies means that a huge range of detectors can be constructed.