Synthetic Biology: Engineering Life Itself



Synthetic biology is an emerging field that
applies engineering principles to biological systems. The goal is to design and
build novel biological functions and systems that do not already exist in
nature. Synthetic biologists view organisms as biological machines that can be
redesigned in a rational, engineering way. By understanding the biological
parts and devices that go into living organisms, synthetic biologists hope to reprogram
life at the molecular level.



Early advances in Synthetic
Biology included engineering bacteria to produce biofuels,
pharmaceuticals, and other useful compounds. Synthetic biologists created novel
genetic circuits and programmed cells to sense their environment, make
decisions, and respond in predetermined ways. Much of the early work focused on
engineering model organisms like E. coli and yeast. More recently, synthetic
biologists have started to engineer mammalian and plant cells as well.


Get More Insights on Synthetic Biology