Programmable Mixed-Signal Biocomputers in Mammalian Cells

Abstract

Living cells perform sophisticated computations that guide them toward discrete states. Synthetic genetic circuits are powerful tools for programing these computations, where transcription-regulatory networks and DNA recombination are the two dominant paradigms for implementing these systems. While each strategy exhibits unique strengths and weaknesses, integrating both into one seamless design framework would enable advanced gene circuit designs intractable with either approach alone. Here, we present Computation via Recombinase Assisted Transcriptional Effectors (CREATE), which leverages site-specific recombination to perform robust logic on discreet computational layers and programmable transcription factors that connect these layers, allowing individual calculations to contribute toward larger operations. We demonstrate the functionality of CREATE by producing sophisticated circuits using a simple plug- and-play framework, including 189 2-input-3-output circuits, modular digital-to-analog signal converters, a 2-bit multiplier circuit, and a digital and analog mixed-signal generator. This work establishes CREATE as a versatile platform for programming complex signal processing systems capable of high-fidelity logic computation and tunable control over circuit output levels. One-Sentence SummaryWe present a minimal and robust genetic circuit platform for programming cells with sophisticated signal processing capabilities.