Toxic Chemicals of Biological Origin: A Synthetic Biology Perspective
1.1 Introduction to Bioengineered Toxins Toxins represent a diverse class of biologically derived poisonous substances that have been weaponized throughout history. From a synthetic biology standpoint, these molecules offer both challenges and opportunities as we examine them through the lens of programmable biological systems. Modern synthetic biology approaches allow us to: Decouple toxin production from native organisms through heterologous expression systems Engineer novel toxin variants with tailored properties Develop precisely controlled delivery mechanisms Create orthogonal detection and countermeasure systems 1.2 Ricin: From Natural Product to Engineered Bioweapon 1.2.1 Synthetic Production Systems Ricin's glycoprotein structure (64 kDa) makes it an ideal candidate for recombinant production. Current synthetic biology approaches include: Expression Platforms: Yeast (Pichia pastoris) systems for eukaryotic glycosylation Cell-free protein synthesis for rapid prototy...