In Vivo

In Vivo Team

The In Vivo Team develops mouse models incorporating the technologies developed by the Sense and Write teams to record cellular events in genomic DNA during mammalian development and homeostasis.

The Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology is a collaboration between Allen Institute, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and the University of Washington.

Goals and Approach

Dr. Flo Chardon (Read Team) holds up an Oxford Nanopore MinION Flow Cell

The In Vivo Team at the Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology focuses on creating mammalian models that incorporate the DNA Typewriter technology to enable whole organism recording. Such records can include information on, in theory, any biological signal. This includes cellular lineages, internal events and decisions, external signals or stressors, and phenotypic changes. Importantly, this information is recorded sequentially. This creates a relative timeline of each event as it happens, acting like a cellular smart watch that can later report back on the health, actions, and experiences of the cell. Applied to a mammalian system, this information would provide valuable insight into development, homeostasis, and disease states. 

To accomplish this, the In Vivo Team works closely with the Build, Write, Sense, and Read Teams to adapt the DNA Typewriter technology into a mouse model and interpret the resulting recorded signals and events across a whole organism. 

James Acosta-Clark (In Vivo Team) microdissecting epithelial tissue for cell culture preparation.

Research Details

Establish murine primary cell lines that utilize DNA Typewriter

he In Vivo Team is working toward developing primary cell lines derived from DNA Typewriter mice to facilitate in vitro models for rapid, high throughput testing of recording technology

Create a DNA Typewriter Mouse

- The first major aim of the Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology is to create a mouse capable of recording the lineage of its own cells using DNA Typewriter technology
- The In Vivo Team will work directly with the DNA Typewriter mice to analyze writing capabilities in embryonic and adult development in coordination with the Sense and Read Teams

Develop transgenic engineering strategies

To facilitate the rapid improvement of DNA Typewriter mice, the In Vivo Team identifies, implements, and improves cutting edge technology for developing novel transgenic mouse models