Dynamic characterization of synthetic genetic circuits in living cells

1. A method for determining one or more intrinsic properties of a DNA component, from a plurality of measurements obtained over a time period from a cell culture, with each cell comprising the DNA component,

wherein the DNA component is involved in transcription of one or more target signals,

wherein the plurality of measurements comprises measurements relating to the density of the cell culture over the time period and measurements relating to the amount of the one or more target signals in the cell culture over the time period,

the method comprising:

(a) estimating parameter values for a first mathematical model that describes cell culture density over time, by minimizing a measure of the difference between the first mathematical model output and the measurements relating to the density of the cell culture over the time period; and

(b) estimating parameters quantifying the intrinsic properties of the DNA component, by embedding these parameters within a further mathematical model that describes the production of the one or more target signals over time, and by minimizing a measure of the difference between the model outputs and the measurements relating to the amount of the one or more target signals, wherein the further mathematical model additionally uses the parameter values estimated in (a) or parameter values based thereon.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each cell further comprises a reference promoter that initiates transcription of a reference signal;

wherein the plurality of measurements further comprises measurements relating to the amount of the reference signal in the cell culture over the time period;

wherein the method further comprises estimating parameter values for a second mathematical model that describes the capacity of the cell culture to produce the reference signal over time, by minimizing a measure of the difference between the second mathematical model and the measurements relating to the amount of the reference signal in the cell culture over the time period, wherein the second mathematical model additionally uses the parameter values estimated in (a); and

the further mathematical model being a third mathematical model, wherein said additional use of parameter values comprises using the parameter values estimated based on (a) by the second mathematical model, taking the second mathematical model to provide an estimate of the capacity of the cell culture to produce the one or more target signals over time.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the sequence encoding the reference signal and the one or more target signals are within the chromosome of the cells in the cell culture.

4. The method according to claim 2 wherein the second mathematical model models the capacity of the cell culture to produce the reference signal over the time period as a chemical reaction network.

5. The method according to claim 2 wherein minimizing a measure of the difference in (b) uses a Markov chain Monte Carlo method.

6. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the method is performed with the plurality of measurements obtained from a plurality of separate cell cultures, wherein the plurality of separate cell cultures have been subjected to different culture conditions, wherein (a), (b) and estimating the parameter value for the second mathematical model are performed for each separate cell culture, wherein variations in the capacity to produce the reference signal over time between the plurality of separate cell cultures are quantified and used in (b) to factor out equivalent variations in the functioning of the DNA component and the one or more target signals.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the DNA component is a promoter or an enhancer.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the intrinsic property is an ability to recruit a polymerase enzyme or an ability to bind transcription factors.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the cell culture is a culture of bacterial, yeast or mammalian cells.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the one or more target signals are one or more target proteins.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the one or more target proteins are fluorescent proteins, and wherein the measurements relating to the amount of the one or more target signals in the cell culture over the time period are fluorescence measurements.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein the measurements relating to the density of the cell culture over the time period are optical densities.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein parameters for the first mathematical model are selected from per capita culture growth rate, carrying capacity, and initial cell density.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first mathematical model is a logistic growth model.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in (a) minimizing a measure of the difference is minimizing a sum of squared errors or the absolute differences between the first mathematical model output and the measurements relating to the density of the cell culture over the time period.

16. The method according to claim 1 wherein minimizing a measure of the difference in (a) uses a Nelder-Mead simplex algorithm.

17. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining the plurality of measurements over the time period from the cell culture; and

adapting the DNA component in vitro based on the one or more intrinsic properties.

18. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

optimizing expression of at least one gene comprised in a genetic circuit, wherein the genetic circuit further comprises the DNA component which is involved in transcription of the at least one gene;

using the intrinsic property of the DNA component to simulate expression of the at least one gene from the genetic circuit in at least two different arrangements of the genetic circuit;

selecting an arrangement, from the at least two different arrangements, that results in optimal expression of the at least one gene; and

based on the selected arrangement, making the arrangement of the genetic circuit.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising code which upon execution performs a method for determining an intrinsic property of a DNA component, from a plurality of measurements obtained over a time period from a cell culture, with each cell comprising the DNA component,

the DNA component being involved in transcription of a target signal,

the plurality of measurements comprising measurements relating to a density of the cell culture over the time period and measurements relating to an amount of the target signal in the cell culture over the time period,

the method comprising:

(a) estimating parameter values, for a first mathematical model that describes cell culture density over time, from a minimized measure of a difference between an output of the first mathematical model and the measurements relating to the density of the cell culture over the time period; and

(b) identifying a parameter quantifying the intrinsic property of the DNA component, from a minimized measure of a difference between an output of a further mathematical model, which has the identified parameter embedded therein and describes a production of the target signal over time, and the measurements relating to the amount of the target signal, wherein the further mathematical model additionally uses the parameter values estimated in (a).

20. A computer-implemented method for determining an intrinsic property of a DNA component, from a plurality of measurements obtained over a time period from a cell culture, with each cell comprising the DNA component and wherein each cell further comprises a reference promoter that initiates transcription of a reference signal, wherein the intrinsic property is an ability to recruit a polymerase enzyme or an ability to bind transcription factors,

the DNA component being involved in transcription of a target signal,

the plurality of measurements comprising measurements relating to a density of the cell culture over the time period, measurements relating to an amount of the reference signal in the cell culture over the time period, and measurements relating to an amount of the target signal in the cell culture over the time period,

the method comprising:

(a) estimating parameter values, for a first mathematical model that describes cell culture density over time, from a minimized measure of a difference between an output of the first mathematical model and the measurements relating to the density of the cell culture over the time period;

(b) estimating parameter values for a second mathematical model that describes a capacity of the cell culture to produce the reference signal over time, from a minimized measure of a difference between an output of the second mathematical model and the measurements relating to the amount of the reference signal in the cell culture over the time period, wherein the second mathematical model additionally uses the parameter values estimated in (a); and

(c) estimating a parameter quantifying the intrinsic property of the DNA component, from a third mathematical model that describes a production of the target signal over time, and from a minimized measure of a difference between an output of the third mathematical model and the measurements relating to the amount of the target signal, wherein the third mathematical model additionally uses the parameter values estimated in (a) or parameter values based thereon,

wherein said additional use of the parameter values comprises using the parameter values estimated based on (a) by the second mathematical model, taking the second mathematical model to provide an estimate of the capacity of the cell culture to produce the target signal over time,

wherein parameters for the first mathematical model are selected from per capita culture growth rate, carrying capacity, and initial cell density,

wherein the first mathematical model is a logistic growth model,

wherein the second mathematical model models the capacity of the cell culture to produce the reference signal over the time period as a chemical reaction network.