The DBTL Approach
What is the DBTL Approach?
A trademark of synthetic biology is the application of rational principles to the design and assembly of the biological components of an engineered biological pathway. Even with rational design, the impact of introducing foreign DNA into a cell can be difficult to predict. This creates the need to test multiple permutations to obtain the desired outcome. An emphasis on the modular design of DNA parts enables the assembly of a greater variety of potential constructs by interchanging the individual components. Automation of the assembly process reduces the time, labor, and cost of generating multiple constructs to allow for an increase of throughput with an overall shortened development cycle.
In this process, double-stranded DNA fragments are designed for easy gene construction. The assembled constructs are typically cloned into an expression vector and verified with colony qPCR or Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS). However, in some high-throughput workflows this verification step can be optional. The synthetic constructs are then analyzed in variety of functional assays. After learning from the assay results, the constructs can then be modified or refined. This design, build, test, learn (DBTL) cycle is repeated until a DNA construct is obtained that produces the desired function.
The Design-Build-Test-Learn (DBTL) cycle is a framework commonly used in synthetic biology to systematically and iteratively develop and optimize biological systems, such as genetically engineered organisms. The DBTL cycle is a powerful approach in synthetic biology for engineering organisms to perform specific functions, such as producing biofuels, pharmaceuticals, or other valuable compounds