Blog 1: What is Synthetic Biology?
Imagine a world where humans could program life like we were in a video game. In a nutshell, that’s kind of what SynBio allows us to do.
At its core, SynBio is a game-changing practice where biology, engineering, and computer science merge together to design, build, and modify biological systems. SynBio manipulates nature through scientific techniques so that scientists can become “architects”. Their creations can be applied to a variety of issues, solving problems from fighting disease to reconstructing agriculture on all levels.
What makes SynBio different from any other science is that instead of studying and trying to understand nature and the world around us, scientists focus on applying the understanding we already have into designing and building artificial biological systems.
From my research, it’s basically like editing a book: researchers can add, delete, or rewrite genetic sequences to change an organism’s function. Specifically, scientists have been able to make organisms do entirely new things–like glow in the dark, resist extreme weather conditions, or even manufacture different medicines; I’ll get more into that in my other posts.
So How Does SynBio Work?
SynBio works by blending principles of biology and engineering, allowing scientists to design and program living things like a developer coding an app. Below I have attached a diagram that I think does a good job demonstrating the similarities between the two branches of science. I’ll have the source I got it from linked at the bottom of the page for anyone who wants to read more. Getting back to what I was saying earlier, the process involves a mix of DNA sequencing, genome editing, and advanced computational tools to guide the design and testing of new organisms.
Here’s how it typically works:
Reading the DNA
Scientists start by using DNA sequencing to read the genetic code inside an organism. From there, researchers take all of their findings and plug them into huge DNA databases. These databases serve as useful reference libraries for scientists, helping them identify which sequence controls specific traits or behaviors.
Design New DNA
With the information stored, scientists use computer models to design new genetic sequences. This helps them predict how a change in DNA will affect how the organism behaves.
Edit or Build the DNA
From there, Using tools like CRISPR, they either edit existing DNA or create new genetic code from scratch. This code is then inserted into a host organism (usually bacteria, yeast, or even plant or animal cells).
Test and Iterate
Once the modified organism is created, scientists observe how it performs and tweak the design as needed. This cycle of design-build-test is repeated until the system does exactly what it’s supposed to.
Conclusion:
That wraps up my segment on Synthetic Biology for today. As a recap, SynBio is a whole new way of thinking about life. Instead of having to wait for evolution and natural processes to offer solutions to our problems, it gives us the power to design our own.
With climate change accelerating, we’re going to need SynBio more than ever. The future will call for innovative solutions that are powerful, but adaptable, which is why Synbio is so important.
Whether it’s building bacteria that can eat away our pollution, growing meat without harming animals, producing clean fuels from carbon in the air, or even curing rare diseases through forced evolution development, SynBio will offer the solutions we need to any problem the world throws at us.
That’s all for now, I’ll be getting into the specific applications of SynBio in my future posts.
– Aidan Kincaid
For more details read these links:
(Diagram Source)
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