Synthetic Biology: A multicellular Approach

The field of synthetic biology has made rapid progress in a number of areas including method development, novel applications, and community building. In seeking to make biology “engineerable,” synthetic biology is increasing the accessibility of biological research to researchers of all experience levels and backgrounds. One of the underlying strengths of synthetic biology is that it may establish the framework for a rigorous bottom-up approach to studying biology starting at the DNA level. Building upon the existing framework established largely by the Registry of Standard Biological Parts, careful consideration of future goals may lead to integrated multi-scale approaches to biology.

Synthetic biology is a new interdisciplinary area that involves the application of engineering principles to biology. It aims at the (re-)design and fabrication of biological components and systems that do not already exist in the natural world. Synthetic biology combines the chemical synthesis of DNA with growing knowledge of genomics to enable researchers to quickly manufacture cataloged DNA sequences and assemble them into new genomes.

Improvements in the speed and cost of DNA synthesis are enabling scientists to design and synthesize modified bacterial chromosomes that can be used in the production of advanced biofuels, bio-products, renewable chemicals, bio-based specialty chemicals (pharmaceutical intermediates, fine chemicals, food ingredients), and in the health care sector as well.

Synthetic biologists are working to develop:

·         Standardized biological parts -- identify and catalogue standardized genomic parts that can be used (and synthesized quickly) to build novel biological systems;

·         Applied protein design -- re-design existing biological parts and expand the set of natural protein functions for new processes;

·         Natural product synthesis -- engineer microbes to produce all of the necessary enzymes and biological functions to perform complex multistep production of natural products; and

·         Synthetic genomics -- design and construct a ‘simple’ genome for a natural bacterium.

Examples of synthetic biology companies:

Commercial firms that sell synthetic DNA (oligonucleotides, genes, or genomes) to users are DNA synthesis companies, including ATG: biosynthetic, Blue Heron Biotechnology, DNA 2.0, GENERATE and Genomatica.

Leading consumer companies of the DNA that are building novel biological systems for bioproducts, biofuels, and the healthcare sector include Amyris Biotechnologies, Inc., Codexis, Genencor (A Division of Danisco), Life Technologies, Genomatica, Qteros, CODA Genomics, Modular Genetics, DNA2.0, Inc., Verdezyne, DSM, Myriant, Gevo, Inc., LS9, Inc., OPX Biotechnologies, Solazyme and Synthetic Genomics, Inc.