What is Synthetic Biology?

Biology is the science of life. The study of life includes its origins, structure, evolution and growth. Only a few decades ago, few people believed that it was possible to alter or change life. Synthetic biology, however, has shown otherwise and has become an incredibly popular concept in recent years. From parents at the playground to actual scientists, people everywhere are talking about synthetic biology, including what it currently is and the impact that it might have on the future.

What is Synthetic Biology?

Although synthetic biology is ultimately based on life, it entails various concepts from many different branches of science. For instance, this new discipline includes elements of chemistry, computer science, engineering and molecular biology. As such, these tools can be assembled together in an effort to revamp the living world.

At The Start

Synthetic biology got its start from artemisinin. During the discovery of this important medicine for malaria, a University of California at Berkeley professor named Jay Keasling stumbled over the notion of synthetic biology. Although gene manipulation is something that scientists have long been doing, this discovery altered the face of science and led to the development of an entirely new discipline. Now, through the use of gene-sequence information and synthetic DNA, researchers are working to perform all new functions. The results could include the development of innovative chemicals and drugs.

Laboratory Automation And Synthetic Biology

Innovators in laboratory automation and robotics have already discovered strategies for automating the process of synthetic biology for enhanced efficiency. This includes a pipeline from gene assembly to colony picking and all that lies in between. It allows researchers more opportunity to further synthetic biology concepts, while basic tasks are handled through automation.

Synthetic biology is virtually guaranteed to have a lasting impact on the future and to be a major part of many scientific advances that are life-changing.