Mammalian Synthetic Biology Oxford Biology Primers Series

Written primarily for mid-to-upper level undergraduates, this primer will introduce students to topics at the forefront of the subject that are being applied to probe biological problems, or to address the most pressing issues facing society. These topics will include those that form the cornerstone of contemporary research, helping students to make the transition to active researcher. This primer introduces the challenges and opportunities of applying synthetic biological techniques to mammalian cells, tissues, and organisms. It covers the special features that make engineering mammalian systems different from engineering bacteria, fungi, and plants, and provides an overview of current techniques. A variety of cutting-edge examples illustrate the different purposes of mammalian synthetic biology, including pure biomedical research, drug production, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine.

Jamie Davies is Professor of Experimental Anatomy at the University of Edinburgh where his interests lie in using techniques of synthetic biology to program cells to make self-constructing, artificial tissues. His lab has been a pioneer in applying synthetic biological techniques to multicellular, mammalian systems and has built and published systems that allow researchers to control the collective behaviour of human cells. As well as publishing 150 research papers and 5 specialist books, he has published a trade science book with OUP (Life Unfolding). He has been elected a Fellow of the Society of Biology, Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, and Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and is a Chartered Science Teacher.