Outcomes for Science and Society

EpigeneticsPhenotypic Plasticity

Synthesis of novel organisms

Engineered microbiomes

Origins of life

Cognition

Biomanufacturing

Mitigation of epidemics

Manage global biological resources

Secure food supply

Development

Predict evolution

Integrative Understanding and Predictive

Capability

Ecosystem Forecasting

Microbiomes

Decision-making

Bioenergy

Personalized medicine

Enable new bio-economy

URoL

Security

Economy

Manage Evolution

“More Stakeholders, Broader Opportunities, Broader Impact”

Epigenetics& behavior

Think:From Cells to

Society

Resourcegovernance

Better physical &social environments

Workforce

Synthetic cell

Orthogonal genetic polymers

2

Can Zeroing In Shine Light on the Rules of Life?

Angstrom Nanometer Micron Meter Kilometer

Flow of Biological Information

RNAs ProteinsDNAs

DNA-dependent RNA polymeraseTranscription factors Ribosome

Reverse transcriptase

ReplisomeDNA polymerase

DNA ligaseSSB protein RNA-dependent RNA polymerase

ProteinsTranscription Translation

Reverse Transcription

DNA Replication RNA Replication

Environments Cells/OrganismsEnvironments

Epigenetics

Synthetic Cells

Cynthia Burrows, University of Utah1808475 Redox Photochemistry in

Genomes of Microorganisms

Jack Szostak, Harvard University1607034 Non-Enzymatic RNA Replication

Nicholas Hud, Georgia Tech1504217 The Center for Chemical Evolution The Central Dogma of Biology

Biological, Enzyme-Catalyzed RNA Replication

http://www.onlinebiologynotes.com/transcription-in-prokaryotes/; http://image.slideserve.com/516559/rna-synthesis-is-catalyzed-by-the-rna-polymerase-l.jpg

Non Enzymatic RNA Primer Extension

Wen Zhang, Chun Pong Tam, Travis Walton, Albert C. Fahrenbach, Gabriel Birrane, and Jack W. Szostak, PNAS, 2017, 114, 7659-64

Non-Enzymatic Viscosity-Driven Nucleic Acid Replication

Christine He, Isaac Gállego, Brandon Laughlin, Martha A. Grover & Nicholas V. Hud, Nature Chemistry, 2017, 9, 318–324.

Thermus aquaticusbacteria

Chlamydomonas algae

Coral in Lizard Island Great Barrier Reef Hot springs in Yellowstone National Park

Redox Photochemistry in Genomes of Microorganisms

A. M. Fleming, Y. Ding, J. Zhu, and C. J. Burrows, ACS Chem. Biol. 2017, 12, 2417-2426.https://chem.utah.edu/_images/faculty/burrows/images/publication_images/34.gif; https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/03/160321-coral-bleaching-great-barrier-reef-climate-change/; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlamydomonas; http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/43/134843-004-D231EE08.jpg; https://news.cnrs.fr/sites/default/files/styles/lightbox; hd/public/assets/images/quadruplex_exemples_structures_adn.jpg?itok=S9PkXgjq;

Can Zeroing In Shine Light on the Understanding of the Rules of Life?

Mural by middle school students from Atlanta working with members of the Center for Chemical Evolution @ Georgia Tech.