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Synthetic Biology

SynBio aims to create new biological components that don’t exist in nature – either from scratch or redesigning natural parts. Whether to start afresh or start with something that already works splits the two approaches to synthetic biology:

  • bottom up – using manufactured biomolecular components and synthesising them into living structures
  • top down – giving new, or novel, functions to already living cells using genetic engineering

Although evolution has created some amazing machines, at every level from proteins to mammals, it is unguided and therefore may have missed opportunities whilst it was just trying to survive in the harsh environment.

Examples of applications within healthcare and life extension include:

  • cell transformation – improving the function of existing cells with human designed gene circuits and organelles
  • designer proteins – instead of improving the processes natural proteins take part in, it’s possible to improve the design of the proteins themselves
  • drug delivery – building logic into bacteria allowing better targeting of pharmaceuticals, therefore reducing some of their side-effects (a synthetic call LOCKR has already been designed to provide this sort of logic)
  • biosensors – e.g. using modified bacteria to detect and report on infections

Synthetic Biology News

DNA nanorobots reshape synthetic cells for drug delivery

DNA nanorobots reshape synthetic cells for drug delivery

University of Stuttgart - 13-Jan-2025

This innovation improves targeted therapies, making it easier to deliver medicine

ThirdLaw Molecular unveils game-changing drug discovery platform

ThirdLaw Molecular unveils game-changing drug discovery platform

ThirdLaw Molecular - 09-Jan-2025

New Spiroligomer™ technology opens pathways to treating previously untargetable diseases

Protein language models redefine protein design and optimisation

Protein language models redefine protein design and optimisation

Live Forever Club - 07-Jan-2025

Open-source tools allow researchers to explore and innovate further

Scientists create cells to guide stem cell growth for organ development

Scientists create cells to guide stem cell growth for organ development

New Atlas - 26-Dec-2024

This may revolutionise organ transplants and disease treatments

More Synthetic Biology News

Synthetic Biology Resources

Click on resource name for more details.

Tae Seok Moon at ARDD2024: Systems and synthetic biology

Tae Seok Moon on systems and synthetic biology

Insilico Medicine

Biotechnology company that uses artificial intelligence to develop new drugs and for aging research

Centaura

Company with mission to prevent and reverse aging.

Bit.bio

Human cell coding company

LabGenius

A biopharmaceutical company developing therapeutics using machine learning

The Emergence of Life: From Chemical Origins to Synthetic Biology

Amazon

The book gives an exhaustive treatment of the biophysical properties of vesicles written by Pier Luigi Luisi

More Synthetic Biology resources
Topics covered in this page:
Synthetic Biology, Synthetic Chromosomes