Electronic circuit analog of synthetic genetic networks: Revisited

Abstract

Electronic circuits are useful tools for studying potential dynamical behaviors of synthetic genetic networks. The circuit models are complementary to numerical simulations of the networks, especially providing a framework for verification of dynamical behaviors in the presence of intrinsic and extrinsic noise of the electrical systems. Here we present an improved version of our previous design of an electronic analog of genetic networks that includes the 3-gene Repressilator and we show conversions between model parameters and real circuit component values to mimic the numerical results in experiments. Important features of the circuit design include the incorporation of chemical kinetics representing Hill function inhibition, quorum sensing coupling, and additive noise. Especially, we make a circuit design for a systematic change of initial conditions in experiment, which is critically important for studies of dynamical systems' behavior, particularly, when it shows multistability. This improved electronic analog of the synthetic genetic network allows us to extend our investigations from an isolated Repressilator to coupled Repressilators and to reveal the dynamical behavior's complexity.