The Process and Applications of Synthetic Biology

Synthetic biology can be a somewhat controversial topic, some argue that it is “going against nature” and some argue that it helps us discover and create new things. It is important to consider what life actually is, the pros and cons of synthetic biology, and the morals behind it.

Along with this, he volunteers at a local hospital in the city, helping to improve the Calgary community. Science and biology have been an integral part of his entire life and have served as a source of inspiration. Over this past year, iGEM has provided him with the chance to further explore the field of synthetic biology along with connecting him with like minded people and peers.

ROCKVILLE, MD and San Diego, CA (May 20, 2010)— Researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), a not-for-profit genomic research organization, published results today describing the successful construction of the first self-replicating, synthetic bacterial cell. The team synthesized the 1.08 million base pair chromosome of a modified Mycoplasma mycoides genome. The synthetic cell is called Mycoplasma mycoides JCVI-syn1.0 and is the proof of principle that genomes can be designed in the computer, chemically made in the laboratory and transplanted into a recipient cell to produce a new self-replicating cell controlled only by the synthetic genome.

In the Biotech Century scientist are now able to splice, recombine, insert, and stitch living material into economic utilities. Viruses and genes are isolated, and placed

Humanity has now reached a critical moment in its existence where the prospect of emerging biotechnologies

Genetic engineering is currently the fastest growing and perhaps most controversial field of science. Genetic engineering is decoding and manipulating DNA to use for scientific and medical purposes. "The discovery that human cells can be grown in a petri dish has opened up breathtaking possibilities for curing disease - and a morass of ethical complications" (Allen 9).

Overall, synthetic life is a very broad discussion. It is transforming one thing into that of another. In Venter’s experiment, many things were discovered. All in all, when they manipulated with original cells and added a new genome, the cell was completely changed. By creating this new entire genome, one that no one has seen before, Craig and his colleagues were attempting to enhance the biology field and show that there is more to science. They literally inserted DNA that was created digitally, into a cell, and it proved to live like it would. Artificial life is what it’s called, and his experiment was the first to show that they could create life from digital means.

About a decade ago, scientists discovered that they can change one type of adult cell into multiple completely different cells by controlling which genes the cell uses. Different cell types express different genes. When expressed, those genes produce proteins, which initiate the creation of organs, as well as biological functions in our bodies.

In regards to synthetic biology, I think any new advances in conservation biology should be considered. Conservation biology needs rapid responses to problems created by humans. There have been many instances where a species has gone instinct, only because humans have destroyed the original DNA through crossbreeding and other conservation efforts. Humans have done so much to destroy the environment, so if we have a chance to help reverse some of our harmful affects, then conservation biologists should take

For example, back in 1970s, researchers created synthetic genetic material and incorporated it into bacteria in manufacturing life-saving products useful to mankind, such as insulin. What makes HGP-Write new is the

This website provided a good amount of information regarding the basics of genetic engineering. It touched on what DNA was and the history of discovering DNA. This source had a slew of facts regarding the human genome, which really emphasized the significance of DNA. Information was provided on what scientists could do with DNA and what they have already done with it. This source was helpful for my research paper for the information was I looking for. It gave me the basics on what I needed to know and I also cited a fact from this page.

In the year of 1543, laying on his death bed, Nicholas Copernicus published the On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres. The notions and ideas that were presented in Copernicus’s book have not only led us to believe that the Earth orbits around the Sun, but rather have led the general populace to have an intrinsic belief in the scientific method. Today, this very belief in the scientific method is being challenged by human morality. As biochemists continue to widen the scope of biopharming, countless individuals are beginning to wonder where to draw a line on transgenic organisms. As individuals, themselves, are beginning to take a stance on transgenics, governments and health organizations are also closely monitoring this ongoing struggle between scientific advancement and human morality.

Genetic engineering may be one of the greatest inventions in recent history along with the discovery of the atom and space flight, however, governments have produced legislation to control what sort of experiments are done involving genetic engineering. In the UK there are strict laws prohibiting any experiments involving the cloning of humans. However, over the years here are some of the experimental 'breakthroughs’ made possible by genetic engineering.

To begin, synbio technology is becoming a necessity in the biomedicine and pharmaceutical industry. Synthetic biology therapies has been developed for the treatment of infectious diseases and cancer, as well as approaches in vaccine development (Ruder et al., 2011). As Ruder et al. (2011) have discovered, effective synthetic biology therapies can been rationally designed and constructed to alter mechanisms underlying disease and related biological processes. In the process of developing synthetic biology for prevention of infection, bacteriophages have been manipulated to attack bacterial strains by disrupting antibiotic defense mechanisms. The development of these synthetic biology therapies is essential in preventing widespread of diseases which may be unstoppable using other means. In the case of cancer treatment, synthetic biology plays an even more important role. Despite the success of modern cancer therapies, the major therapeutic interventions- surgery, radiation and chemotherapy- still causes considerable damage to healthy tissues in cancer patients. In this aspect, synthetic biology is no longer merely an alternative, but more of a necessity as we “need new cancer treatments that precisely distinguish between diseases and healthy cells” (Ruder et al., 2011). With synthetic biology, synbiologists are able to engineer bacteria to target and invade only cancer cells, programming the invasion to occur only in specific vivo conditions, as well as engineering bacteria

Genetic engineering is an issue that involves ethical, moral and social choices. With breakthrough research of human genetic engineering and experiments in DNA in medicine, pharmacology, and reproductive technology, DNA a deoxyribonucleic acid, that has a self-replicating chromosomes cell that has genetic information that can be used for to divide, reproduce DNA molecules, that has been used in bioengineering for