Combining expertise in genetics, synthetic biology, metabolic engineering and related fields, a team of ASU researchers has developed a new way to build more effective and reliable living systems that can be used to create more stable cell factories and develop new medical applications. Their progress provides a new design principle for researchers to ensure engineered cells work more consistently, says Xiaojun Tian, an associate professor in the in the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools. For the project, Tian teamed with David Nielsen, a professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools, and  Wenwei Zheng, an associate professor in ASU’s School of Applied Sciences and Art.