Project Overview

Telomeres are repeating sequences of TTAGGG nucleotides at the ends of somatic cell chromosomes. These sequences protect cellular genomes from harmful effects associated with chromosome shortening during cell replication. Due to the finite length of telomeres, telomere shortening is known to be a primary contributor to cellular senescence and cell death. To allow human somatic cells to replicate indefinitely, we have engineered a biological circuit with three primary components to regulate telomere length. (1) Expression of the reverse transcriptase enzyme telomerase to extend telomeres (2) Regulation of the amount of telomerase expressed using an oscillatory mechanism (3) Operation of a safety device to prevent possible cancerogenesis. Through the cooperation of these three mechanisms, and the tools of synthetic biology, lifespan extension is possible.