Blog 3: Synthetic Biology: The Upgraded Genetic Engineering

For decades, scientists have edited and tweaked DNA to change how they function. These edits have contributed to thousands of innovations spanning from engineering bacteria to produce insulin to creating pest-resistant crops. Genetic engineering allows for these innovations and has shaped much of modern biotechnology. But now, synthetic biology(SynBio) is taking it a step further: it doesn't just edit life, it designs it. In this blog, I'll talk about what makes SynBio different from genetic engineering.

What is Genetic Engineering?

Before I go into how SynBio has played off of genetic engineering, let me give you a little background on what it is. Genetic engineering is a process introduced in the 1970s that involves directly modifying an organism’s DNA to change how it behaves or what it produces. The most classic example of genetic engineering is inserting the human insulin gene into bacteria to produce insulin for diabetic patients. 

The core concept behind genetic engineering is gene transfer: taking a gene from one organism and inserting it into another to give it a new trait. This could mean making plants resistant to insects, helping yeast produce biofuels, or modifying cells to glow under UV light. But although genetic engineering has done some amazing things, each project requires its own approach, making it hard to scale experiments with consistent results. 

That’s where SynBio comes in. 

If you’re not entirely sure what SynBio is, make sure to check out my “What is Synthetic Biology” blog from earlier. To summarize, it’s a merger between engineering and biology that uses standardized biological parts and a variety of instruments to build living systems in a more predictable and scalable way. Knowing this will make this blog more useful. 

How is Synthetic Biology Different from Genetic Engineering?

At first glance, these two may look awfully similar: both of them involve modifying DNA to create new traits or functions. But the real differences lie in how scientists approach the work. 

SynBio takes a more “engineering-based” approach than genetic engineering does. Instead of starting from scratch on every project, synthetic biologists use standardized parts and databases that can be reused and optimized. It’s similar to the difference between cooking from scratch every night and using a meal kit with pre-measured ingredients. 

SynBio also leans much more on digital tools and automation. Scientists design DNA sequences, simulate, and refine using technology. Genetic engineering, on the other hand, typically relies more on traditional lab techniques and hands-on experimentation to get the job done. 

Basically, synthetic biology is the upgraded version of genetic engineering.

Conclusion

That ends my segment for today’s blog. Just remember, SynBio isn’t replacing genetic engineering, it’s making it better and opening up even more possibilities. 

In my next post, I’ll dive deeper into Biobricks, the standardized building blocks that are making biology easier to design, share, and build with than ever before.

Thanks,

– Aidan Kincaid