Modeling and control of intracellular processes

Significant improvements in bioprocess performance can be achieved through the efficient genetic manipulation of intracellular processes. Successful genetic and process engineering requires information from different levels of cellular function, ranging from genome sequence to transcriptional and translational profiles to intracellular metabolite concentration. Advances in genomic and proteomic technologies and the development of sophisticated techniques and instrumentation have provided the tools that have allowed us to know more than we can understand. The number of the components of the cellular processes, their strong regulatory coupling, intricate stoichiometry, and nonlinear nature of the underlying mechanisms, are some of the key elements of cellular complexity that limit our understanding of intracellular systems despite the large amount of information about the elements of these systems. This tutorial focuses on advanced methods for the collection of data about intracellular process and the associated systems engineering methodologies for the analysis of these data and the identification of candidate genetic engineering targets for bioprocess improvement and drug development.