Synthetic Genomics and Synthetic Biology Applications Between Hopes and Concerns

Abstract

New organisms and biological systems designed to satisfy human needs are among the aims of synthetic genomics and synthetic biology. Synthetic biology seeks to model and construct biological components, functions and organisms that do not exist in nature or to redesign existing biological systems to perform new functions. Synthetic genomics, on the other hand, encompasses technologies for the generation of chemically-synthesized whole genomes or larger parts of genomes, allowing to simultaneously engineer a myriad of changes to the genetic material of organisms. Engineering complex functions or new organisms in synthetic biology are thus progressively becoming dependent on and converging with synthetic genomics. While applications from both areas have been predicted to offer great benefits by making possible new drugs, renewable chemicals or clean energy, they have also given rise to concerns about new safety, environmental and socio-economic risks – stirring an increasingly polarizing debate. Here we intend to provide an overview on recent progress in biomedical and biotechnological applications of synthetic genomics and synthetic biology as well as on arguments and evidence related to their possible benefits, risks and governance implications.

A Systematic Review of the Criminogenic Potential of Synthetic Biology and Routes to Future Crime Prevention

“…Genome editing tools (König et al, 2013 ), such as CRISPR (Rowe et al, 2020 ) and transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALENS) are strongly characteristic of synthetic biology (Moore et al, 2014 ). These tools can be used to edit the genomes of organisms extensively without inserting additional genetic material (Waltz, 2016 ), or as assembly tools to compose and insert complex synthetic gene networks into cells (Kim et al, 2019 ).…”

Biotechnological and bioinformatics approaches for augmentation of biohydrogen production: A review

“…Synthetic biology is engineering of biology in the deliberate (re) design and construction of novel biological systems and organisms non existing in nature to perform new functions for useful purposes [17]. It aims at development of cell factories commonly microbial organisms, with the introduction of non-native pathways into optimized chassis strains for bioconversion of renewable resources to bulk or high value chemicals or alternatively for carbon capture to oppose climate change.…”

“…Ever since the development of the first genome scale model in Haemophilus influenzae [16], the available high-throughput biological data have been utilized efficiently for systems level modeling approaches [15]. The modeling and construction of biological components, functions and organisms non existing in nature or redesigning existing biological systems to perform new functions is considered as Synthetic biology [17]. In this review, we discuss the utilization of biotechnological and bioinformatics approaches/techniques to improve H 2 production to overcome the current hurdles.…”

The potential of synthetic biology for improving environmental quality and human health in developing countries

“…In this regard, Synthetic Biology, a nearly new research area, has given a big step through the design of biological systems with the potential to reduce the adverse effects of environmental risk factors on human health. This nascent discipline has been extensively described and refers to a variety of experimental approaches (the product of interactive cycles of computer modeling, biology assembly, and testing) aimed to modify or mimic biological systems [15][16][17][18][19][20] . In this review, we describe the major advances in synthetic biology with a highly potential to improve environmental quality and human health in developing countries.…”