For decades, synthetic biologists have been developing gene circuits that can be transferred into cells for applications such as reprogramming a stem cell into a neuron or generating a protein that could help treat a disease such as fragile X syndrome.These gene circuits are typically delivered into cells by carriers such as nonpathogenic viruses. However, it has been difficult to ensure that these cells end up producing the correct amount of the protein encoded by the synthetic gene.To overcome that obstacle, MIT engineers have designed a new control mechanism that…
