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Genetic Toggle Switch: Bistability in a Synthetic Gene Circuit

Interactive synthetic-biology simulator of the classic genetic toggle switch: two mutually-repressing genes whose Hill-function kinetics create bistability. Tune promoter strengths and cooperativity, drop a probe cell anywhere in state space, and pulse IPTG/aTc to flip the switch.

Molecular Biology3DAdvanced60 FPS📱 Mobile-adapted⇄ 2D version

The genetic toggle switch — two genes whose protein products mutually repress one another — is one of the two founding circuits of synthetic biology (Gardner, Cantor & Collins, 2000). This simulator integrates its Hill-function ODEs in real time for a whole population of "cells" seeded across the (u,v) protein-concentration plane, rendering each as a point in 3D whose height reports how fast it is still changing, so the two stable basins visibly settle into flat valleys while the unstable ridge between them stays lifted. Promoter-strength and cooperativity sliders let you watch bistability appear and vanish, a click-to-place probe cell traces its own convergence trajectory, and IPTG/aTc pulse buttons reproduce the classic induction experiment that flips the switch from one stable state to the other.

⚙ Under the hood

Simulate the classic synthetic-biology toggle switch: two mutually-repressing genes whose Hill-function kinetics create two stable states, watch a live population of cells settle into either basin, and pulse IPTG or aTc to flip the switch.

synthetic biologygene circuitbistabilityHill functiongeneticssystems biology

3D · Three.js / WebGL renderer · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install