For decades now, humans have modified the characteristics of organisms through the use of genetic engineering. Genetic engineers cut and paste together genes from one organism into another to alter the characteristics of a species. Using these recombinant (recombined) DNAs, genetic engineers have created many types of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), from pest resistant crops, bacteria that can clean up oil spills, and yeast that make human insulin.
While effective, traditional genetic engineering is limited in scope, usually involving the transfer of one or a few genes to a new cell. Recombinant DNA technology is also time consuming, expensive, and requires extensive customization to effectively combine genes from one organism with another. Synthetic biology represents a new approach to genetic modification, applying engineering principles to genetic manipulation. In particular, the engineering concepts of standardization, modularity, and abstraction are critical.
Synthetic Biologists view genes, regulatory elements, enzyme target sites, and other DNA features as "parts" and cells as "molecular machines". Parts can be joined to create devices – a collection of parts that creates a function. Many devices can be introduced into a cell (called a chassis) to create a new system, which can allow the cell to complete a new high-level task. This view allows the user to reduce the complexity of building a device and a system, making it easier to understand.
In addition, parts are standardized for assembly into devices by the addition of prefix and suffix sequences. The exact prefix and suffix sequences used form assembly standards, which are used to simplify the process of joining parts. There is even an open source language that has been developed, The Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL) that is used to help abstract the design of parts, circuits and systems.
DNA parts in standardized form are most often created in the laboratory synthetically. Information regarding DNA sequences is obtained from online genomic databases such as the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), maintained by the National Institutes of Health. This information is then used to synthesize DNA parts using artificial gene synthesis technology. Once synthesized, parts can be joined together using common molecular biology techniques such as, cut-and-paste cloning, Gibson assembly, golden gate cloning. Assembled devices are then inserted into a DNA vector, and the assembly is verified. Confirmed device assemblies and then used to transform a target cell, and the function of the device is measured using an appropriate assay. Based on assay results, the constructed device may be subjected to rounds of refinement to improve or modify functions to the required specifications.
To Learn More
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Book Review- "Right/Wrong: How Technology Transforms our Ethics" (October 13, 2020)
Synthetic Biology in the News
Food Navigator-usa.com, October 10, 2020: Real Honey, Without the Bees?
Axios, September 30, 2020: The age of engineering life begins
Wired.com: Synthetic Biology
New York Times, May 15, 2019: Scientists Created Bacteria With a Synthetic Genome. Is This Artificial Life?
