What is synthetic biology?

“The design and construction of new biological parts, devices and systems that do not exist in the natural world and also the redesign of existing biological systems to perform specific tasks.”

http://www.etcgroup.org/upload/publication/602/01/synbioreportweb.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIuh7KDRzLk

Adventures in Synthetic Biology (comic by Drew Endy)

http://mit.edu/endy/www/scraps/comic/AiSB.vol1.pdf

Andrianantoandro et al., Molecular Systems Biology 16 May 2006

Synthetic biology hierarchy inspired by computer/electrical engineering

Engineering Life: Building a FAB for Biology, Sci. Am. Feb. 2007

Engineering Life: Building a FAB for Biology, Sci. Am. Feb. 2007

Bacterial photography

Engineering Life: Building a FAB for Biology, Sci. Am. Feb. 2007

Programming bacteria to form complex patterns

Keasling, J.D., ACS Chemical Biology 2008, Vol. 3, No. 1

Semisynthesis strategy for producing artemisinin

Using genetic parts to program bacteria

Voigt, C.A., Current Opinion in Biotechnology 2006, 17:548–557

DNA parts to program bacteria

Voigt, C.A., Current Opinion in Biotechnology 2006, 17:548–557

DNA parts to program bacteria

Voigt, C.A., Current Opinion in Biotechnology 2006, 17:548–557

DNA parts to program bacteria

Voigt, C.A., Current Opinion in Biotechnology 2006, 17:548–557

iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition)

A competition by teams of undergrads to build genetically engineered machinesusing standardized biological parts (BioBricks) or making their own.

Push-on Push-off switch (using a bistable switch and NOR gate)

Registry of Standard Biological Parts (BioBricks)

Endy D, 2005. Nature 438: 449-453

http://parts.mit.edu

Provides free access to an open commons of basic biological functions that can be used to program synthetic biological systems

Anybody may contribute, draw upon, or improve the parts maintained within the Registry.

BioBrick Part Types

BioBrick Reporters

GFP device

lacI Promoter

Engineering Life: Building a FAB for Biology, Sci. Am. Feb. 2007

BioBricks

BioBrick Standard Assembly

http://openwetware.org/wiki/User:Vincent_Rouilly/Hands_On_BioBrick_Activity

Input and Output Modules using BioBricks

BioBrick Device Data Sheet

Arkin and Fletcher, Genome Biology 2006, 7:114

Evolution Breaks Synthetic Circuits

Endy D, 2005. Nature 438: 449-453

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-mCWIGVgmQ&feature=related