Synthetic Biology 101 

Synthetic biology is a multidisciplinary area of research that aims to redesign organisms for useful purposes, create new biological parts, devices, and systems, or to redesign systems that are already found in nature.  In simple words, synthetic biology is that science which will give you the tools to manipulate existing living organisms and also create some with the desired qualities you want in them. Take any sci-fi book you will see the imprints of synthetic biology…be it biosensors, clones, specially designed organisms to suit human tastes, super-fast healing technologies, drug delivery systems : you name it, this field will help you accomplish it! While the name suggests that it only depends on the principles of biology, it is kind of impossible to make something entirely new by ignoring the ultimate laws of physics. 

Biotechnology, genetic engineering, molecular biology, electrical and computer engineering, and several others make up the principles of synthetic biology. 

Bored? 

I am too … quite a long list of achievements, but these form the very foundations of the biology we see today and what we hope to see tomorrow. Now the fun part: To understand how to use synthetic biology in the field (while you read this and form evil plans to use the knowledge do read about the ethical issues associated with this field, else don’t blame me if you end up in trouble)

Synthetic biology can be approached in two different ways:

• The top down approach involves using metabolic and genetic engineering techniques to impart new functions to living cells.

• The bottom up approach involves creating new biological systems in vitro by creating artificial systems through basic building blocks.

Some of the basic techniques which are important in in synthetic biology are:                 

• DNA and gene synthesis

• Sequencing

• Microfluidics

• Modularity

• Modelling

Now that you have your information, you will choose an ideal plant where your aim is to get all the above qualities together,so, you will go for: DNA and gene synthesis, gene editing. Additionally, you want to create new components in your organism you take the help of Microfluidics: an emerging tool used to construct new components, and to analyse and characterize them and Modularity: manipulating the vast network of protein-protein interactions. Throughout the entire process of your manipulation, you would require a guide to Modelling: Models inform the design of engineered biological systems by better predicting system behaviour prior to fabrication. Synthetic biology benefits from better models of how biological molecules bind substrates and catalyse reactions, how DNA encodes the information needed to specify the cell and how multi-component integrated systems behave. 

The above example gives you a short glimpse of how things work in Synbio, the entire process requires meticulous research and trial and error based procedures. Though we don’t have any special Martian plants yet, but significant progress has been reported in this field : Genetically engineered yeast makes medicinal plant products, engineering multiple species-like genetic incompatibilities in insects, designing protein logic gates, biological computers, targeted medicines and much more. This field has vast capabilities, which are only limited by imagination!