Newton’s Cradle: Exploring rational and empirical design space with Engineering Biology

Discovery in biological research was historically driven by empirical methods. The advent of biological engineering, propelled by technological developments and new tools, has made rational hypothesis-driven design and engineering of biological systems more feasible and common. Although they are often seen as opposing approaches, the empirical and rational methods can work together to accelerate fundamental research and product development. Whereas forward engineering is guided by informed design of known biological pathways and processes, the exploratory empirical methods allow to expand the design space beyond the scope of current knowledge. This webinar discusses the advantages of each method and how they could be implemented in tandem to advance biological engineering.