15 Examples of Synthetic Biology

Synthetic biology is an interdisciplinary field that merges biology and engineering. It involves designing and constructing new biological parts, devices, or systems, and re-designing existing natural biological systems for useful purposes. Synthetic biology covers a wide array of applications, from biofuel production and medical therapies to environmental clean-up. It enables the creation of life forms and biological systems not found in nature, raising the potential for unprecedented solutions to complex challenges. However, its scope also prompts important ethical, safety, and regulatory discussions, emphasizing the need for responsible innovation and oversight.

What is Synthetic Biology?

Synthetic biology is an emerging interdisciplinary field that combines biological and engineering principles. It involves the design and construction of new biological parts, devices, and systems, as well as the re-design of existing, natural biological systems for useful purposes.

Synthetic biology often involves the manipulation of organisms on the genetic level to encourage them to perform specific tasks, such as producing biofuels, creating medicines, detecting toxic substances, and more. This can be achieved by altering an organism’s natural genes, or by introducing new and/or synthetic genes.

In a broader sense, synthetic biology aims to make the engineering of biology easier and more predictable. This includes efforts to create standardized biological parts that can be used across various applications, much like the standard parts used in mechanical or electrical engineering.

However, as with any powerful technology, synthetic biology also presents a variety of ethical and safety challenges that need to be carefully considered, such as biosecurity risks, regulatory issues, and potential impacts on ecosystems. These challenges underscore the need for a responsible approach to research and innovation in synthetic biology.

Examples of Synthetic Biology

• Production of Biofuels

The production of biofuels represents a key application of synthetic biology, offering a renewable and potentially more environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels. Biofuels are produced from living organisms or metabolic by-products, generally plants or microbes. Scientists use synthetic biology to engineer these organisms to increase their biofuel production efficiency.

For example, microorganisms like bacteria and yeast can be genetically modified to produce biofuels from various feedstocks. By manipulating the metabolic pathways within these organisms, scientists can optimize them to convert biomass, like corn starch or cellulose, into ethanol or other biofuels.

Synthetic biology also enables the production of ‘advanced’ biofuels, such as isobutanol or biodiesel, that have energy content and characteristics closer to those of traditional gasoline or diesel. The development of algae engineered to produce biodiesel is one example of this innovation.

• Medicine Production

Synthetic biology holds immense potential in the field of medicine production, fundamentally changing the way many drugs are made and offering new possibilities for treatment. One prominent example is the semi-synthetic production of artemisinin, a drug vital for treating malaria. Traditionally extracted from the sweet wormwood plant in a labor-intensive process, synthetic biology has enabled the engineering of yeast to produce a precursor to artemisinin, making its production faster, more reliable, and less dependent on crop yields.

Moreover, synthetic biology has enabled the development of personalized treatments such as CAR-T cell therapies for cancer. In this case, a patient’s own immune cells are genetically modified to recognize and attack their specific cancer cells, vastly improving treatment effectiveness.

The production of synthetic vaccines, like mRNA vaccines used in the COVID-19 pandemic, represent another milestone, allowing rapid development and scalability.

• Gene Drives

Gene drives are a powerful tool derived from synthetic biology, holding potential to address several global challenges, particularly in public health and conservation. Gene drives work by ensuring a specific trait gets passed to almost all offspring, rather than just half as in typical Mendelian inheritance. This enables the trait to spread rapidly through a population, even if it doesn’t confer a survival advantage.

For instance, scientists are developing gene drives to fight mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and dengue. By engineering mosquitoes with genes making them resistant to the parasite causing malaria or skewing their offspring to males (which don’t transmit disease), we can potentially eliminate these diseases.

• Biosensors

Biosensors, a fascinating product of synthetic biology, are devices that leverage biological components to detect and measure the presence of various substances. These can include toxins, pollutants, or specific biological molecules. At the core of a biosensor is a bio-receptor that recognizes the target substance and a transducer that converts this interaction into a measurable signal.

One example is the creation of genetically engineered bacteria that glow in the presence of certain pollutants, providing a cost-effective and visually obvious method of environmental monitoring. These can be particularly useful in detecting toxic heavy metals in water sources.

In medicine, biosensors can be used to monitor levels of glucose, cholesterol, or specific biomarkers of disease. Additionally, advances in synthetic biology are leading to the development of living biosensors, where cells are engineered to respond to certain conditions, potentially even delivering a therapeutic response.

• Bioplastics Production

Synthetic biology offers promising solutions for the environmental problem posed by conventional plastics through the development of bioplastics. Traditional plastics, derived from petroleum, are non-biodegradable and can persist in the environment for hundreds of years. Conversely, bioplastics can be engineered to be biodegradable, reducing their environmental impact.

Microorganisms like bacteria can be genetically modified to produce polymers that serve as bioplastics. For instance, Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biodegradable plastics produced by certain bacteria under nutrient-limiting conditions. By optimizing these conditions and further engineering the bacteria, synthetic biology can potentially improve PHA production efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Another example is the modification of yeast to ferment sugar into polylactic acid (PLA), another biodegradable plastic. Though progress is being made, challenges remain, including improving production efficiency, reducing costs, and managing the lifecycle impacts of bioplastics.

• Personalized Medicine

Personalized medicine, sometimes referred to as precision medicine, represents a significant shift in our approach to healthcare, one where treatments are tailored to individual patients based on their genetic, biomarker, phenotypic, or psychosocial characteristics. Synthetic biology plays a pivotal role in enabling this transformation.

One striking example of personalized medicine is the use of CAR-T cell therapies for cancer treatment. In this approach, T-cells from a patient are extracted and genetically modified to express a receptor specific to the patient’s cancer cells. These modified cells are then reintroduced into the patient, where they target and kill the cancer cells. This not only improves the effectiveness of treatment but also reduces side effects compared to traditional therapies.

Further, synthetic biology aids in the development of personalized treatments for genetic disorders, by using techniques like CRISPR to modify or correct specific genetic variants in patients.

• Xenobiology

Xenobiology is an area of synthetic biology that aims to create novel life forms and biological components not found in nature. This is achieved by modifying the genetic code of organisms, incorporating new, synthetic genetic bases, or utilizing non-natural amino acids in protein synthesis.

The creation of synthetic organisms with an expanded genetic alphabet is one example. In 2014, scientists reported the creation of a bacterium that incorporated two synthetic bases into its genetic code, in addition to the natural four. This expanded genetic code allows the production of proteins with non-natural amino acids, which could have applications in medicine and materials science. Xenobiology also explores the concept of creating entirely synthetic life forms, with potential applications in bioremediation, biofuel production, and more.

• Production of Specialty Chemicals

Synthetic biology is revolutionizing the production of specialty chemicals, providing more efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective manufacturing processes. Specialty chemicals, including industrial enzymes, flavors, fragrances, and pharmaceutical intermediates, have traditionally been produced through complex chemical syntheses or extracted from natural sources.

With synthetic biology, microorganisms can be engineered to produce these chemicals via fermentation. This is achieved by altering the organisms’ metabolic pathways, enabling them to convert simple inputs, like sugar, into desired products. For example, the company Ginkgo Bioworks uses synthetic biology to engineer yeast and bacteria to produce a wide array of specialty chemicals, from rose scent for perfumes to sweeteners for food and beverage applications.

Such biological production methods are generally more environmentally friendly and require fewer resources than traditional methods.

• Tissue Engineering

Tissue engineering, a subfield of regenerative medicine, utilizes synthetic biology principles to develop biological substitutes that restore, maintain, or improve tissue function. This is often accomplished by combining scaffolds, cells, and biologically active molecules.

A classic application of tissue engineering is in the creation of lab-grown organs or ‘organoids.’ Here, a scaffold, often made from biodegradable materials, is seeded with specific types of cells (like stem cells) which are then stimulated to grow and differentiate into the desired tissue.

Advances in synthetic biology, including gene editing tools like CRISPR, allow for more precise control over this process, enabling the engineering of tissues with greater complexity and functionality. This has profound implications for healthcare, potentially reducing the dependence on organ transplants and improving treatments for conditions like heart disease or osteoarthritis.

• Synthetic Vaccines

Synthetic vaccines, a product of advances in synthetic biology, have revolutionized immunization strategies and played a crucial role in responding to emerging infectious diseases. These vaccines use synthetic processes to create the antigens or genetic material that stimulate an immune response.

One approach is to synthetically produce peptide antigens that mimic a part of the pathogen. These antigens, when introduced into the body, trigger an immune response, preparing the immune system for potential future encounters with the actual pathogen.

The most prominent example of synthetic vaccines is mRNA vaccines, like those developed for COVID-19 by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. These vaccines deliver synthetic mRNA into cells, instructing them to produce a viral protein that stimulates an immune response. mRNA vaccines can be designed and manufactured rapidly, making them particularly valuable in responding to new viral threats.

• Microbial Factories for Food Production

Synthetic biology is transforming the way we produce food by engineering microbial factories to generate nutritious, sustainable, and novel food products. Microorganisms like yeast, bacteria, and algae can be genetically engineered to produce proteins, fats, vitamins, and other nutrients.

A prominent example is the production of milk proteins by engineered yeast, which can be used to make dairy products without involving cows, reducing the environmental impact of dairy farming. Companies like Perfect Day and New Culture are pioneering such efforts.

In a similar vein, engineered yeast and bacteria can produce egg proteins or generate compounds that give meat its unique flavor, enabling the creation of plant-based meats and egg substitutes that more closely resemble their animal-derived counterparts. Algae, too, can be engineered to produce valuable food products, like omega-3 fatty acids.

• Environmental Cleanup

Synthetic biology holds tremendous potential for environmental cleanup, often termed bioremediation, by engineering organisms to degrade pollutants. For example, bacteria or fungi can be genetically modified to break down harmful substances like heavy metals, radioactive materials, or oil spills into less harmful compounds.

In the case of oil spills, certain naturally occurring microbes are capable of metabolizing components of crude oil. By better understanding these metabolic pathways and using synthetic biology tools, these organisms could be optimized to increase their efficiency and effectiveness.

Furthermore, microbes can also be engineered to act as biosensors, responding to specific environmental contaminants and helping to monitor pollution levels.

• Fermentation Process Optimization

Fermentation, a process used in various industries like food, pharmaceuticals, and biofuels, involves the use of microorganisms to convert raw materials into desired products. Synthetic biology plays a crucial role in optimizing these processes, making them more efficient, controllable, and cost-effective.

Genetic engineering can be used to enhance the performance of fermenting organisms, allowing them to produce higher yields, tolerate harsher conditions, or generate fewer unwanted by-products. For instance, yeast strains can be engineered to convert sugars into ethanol more efficiently, benefiting biofuel production.

Similarly, bacteria used in the production of certain pharmaceuticals or specialty chemicals can be modified to increase their productivity and consistency. Advanced genetic tools like CRISPR and next-generation sequencing aid in these efforts by allowing precise genetic modifications and facilitating a deeper understanding of microbial metabolism.

• Creating Synthetic Genomes

Creating synthetic genomes, a significant frontier in synthetic biology, involves the de novo synthesis of an organism’s entire genetic material. This allows scientists to study fundamental aspects of life and to create organisms with entirely new capabilities.

One notable achievement is the creation of the first synthetic cell by the J. Craig Venter Institute in 2010. They chemically synthesized the genome of a bacterium, Mycoplasma mycoides, and transplanted it into a related species. The resulting organism could replicate and produce proteins using the synthetic genome, marking a significant milestone in synthetic biology.

However, synthetic genomes are not merely copies of natural ones. Researchers aim to streamline genomes, removing non-essential parts, or add novel functionalities. Efforts like the Synthetic Yeast 2.0 project aim to build a fully synthetic, designer yeast genome.

• Biomaterials

Biomaterials, often developed through the principles of synthetic biology, are materials that interact with biological systems for various medical purposes. They can be derived from nature or synthesized in the laboratory using a variety of chemical approaches utilizing metallic components, polymers, ceramics or composite materials.

A major application of biomaterials is in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Here, biomaterials serve as scaffolds that mimic the extracellular matrix in the body, providing a 3D structure for cells to grow and develop into functional tissues or organs.

Engineered biomaterials also play a critical role in drug delivery. They can be designed to release drugs at a specific rate or in response to certain triggers, enhancing the effectiveness of therapies and reducing side effects.

Biomaterials are also used to create biosensors and implants, such as pacemakers or artificial joints.

Summary

Synthetic biology encompasses a vast array of fields, methods, and applications. Here’s a simple table summarizing some key aspects:

Conclusion

Synthetic biology is a transformative field, harnessing the principles of engineering and biological sciences to design and construct new biological parts, devices, and systems. It’s transforming industries from healthcare to agriculture and energy, facilitating the creation of novel therapies, sustainable biofuels, and environmentally friendly chemicals. It offers promise in addressing some of the most pressing global challenges, including climate change, food security, and disease. However, alongside its enormous potential, it presents significant ethical, biosafety, and regulatory challenges that need careful consideration. As synthetic biology continues to evolve, the way we interact with the biological world will be fundamentally reshaped.