What is Synthetic Biology?

Key concepts

• Life vs. non-life Both living and non-living matter are made of atoms and chemicals. Living systems are distinguished by how those atoms are organized into complex biological molecules and interactive systems.

• DNA as the informational molecule DNA’s double helix carries a four-letter chemical alphabet — A, C, T, G — that encodes instructions for growth, reproduction, and development.

• Genome The genome is the complete DNA sequence of an organism. “Reading a genome” refers to sequencing that complete DNA sequence.

Discoveries and advances

• Genome sequencing progress Scientists learned to read entire genomes across many organisms, from bacteria to fruit flies to humans.

• Gene transfer and genetic modification Individual genes (for example, a gene that causes jellyfish to glow) can be moved into other organisms to confer new traits.

• Synthetic biology A newer field that moves beyond reading and editing genomes to designing and writing genomes and creating new biological systems:

Synthetic biology is a new field that goes beyond reading and editing genomes to designing and writing genomes to create new biological systems.

• Genome synthesis and reconstruction Researchers have rewritten and rebuilt the entire genome of yeast and plan to insert that synthetic genome into a cell to “boot” it and produce a living organism. Conceptually, a successfully booted synthetic genome could create an organism discontinuous from the existing evolutionary chain — a life form based on a human-designed genome.

Methodology (typical sequence)

1. Sequence/read genomes (genome sequencing).
2. Modify or transfer genes between organisms (genetic engineering).
3. Design and synthesize entire genomes (genome writing/reconstruction).
4. Insert the synthetic genome into a cell and attempt to “boot” it so it becomes a living, reproducing organism.

Ethical and conceptual questions raised

• How far should this technology go?
• What are the implications of creating organisms deliberately different from any that have evolved?

Researchers / sources featured

• Drew Endy (Stanford professor)