The Biology Of Science Fiction
Synthetic biology is disputably the future of biology. Re-engineering and reprogramming properties of biological molecules has been done for centuries! From the very first recorded beer created by the Ancient Egyptians when yeast was utilised for alcohol; we began our journey to manipulate biological molecules for specific uses.
By gearing yeast to undergo ethanolic fermentation by limiting oxygen supplies in the microbial environment, we created beer! Very different in taste today, but the Ancient Egyptians loved it.
It's only recently we have taken this manipulation further, not just simply altering the environment in which particular microbes reside in to evoke a response from them, but actually altering the genetic make-up of microbes. A step away from biotechnology, a step toward engineering in biotechnology.
History of synthetic biology
Synthetic biology was arguably a proper division of biology in 1910, when the phrase was used by Stéphane Leduc (a French biologist) in a scientific publication called 'The Chemical And Physical Mechanisms Of Life' [1]. In 1978, a Nobel Prize was awarded to scientists Arber, Nathans and Smith for founding restriction enzymes [2]. Restriction enzymes are specialised proteins which can cut specific sections (restriction sites) of genes. They allow snippets of genes to be cut out and replaced with other genes- which is essentially reprogramming genetic information.
Restriction enzymes are used in the production of insulin. They cut out bacterial genes in plasmids (which are bacterial genetic structures) and another form of enzyme seals a human insulin gene from where the bacterial gene was removed. This new plasmid, is called recombinant DNA. And because bacteria have rapid reproductive rates, they are able to reproduce mass amounts of the recombinant DNA, which in this case can now be known as insulin.
The production of insulin isn't the only major breakthrough related to synthetic biology, but it is certainly one of the most profound. Artificial genetic synthesis is also incredibly important in synthetic biology. A yeast tRNA was the first complete gene to be synthesised using the genetic code, by Har Gobind Khorana in 1968, who also founded the universal genetic code [3]. Since then it has become possible for almost anyone to synthesise genes, by sending desired genetic characteristics to particular companies which carry out the synthesis, for a particularly high price of course.
In May 2010, a group founded by Craig Venter, called 'Venter', had synthesised the entire genome of the bacterium Mycoplasma Mycoides using a computer, and then transplated the genome into Mycoplasma Capricolum which had all of it's genetic information removed [4]. Venter stated that "It is the first species to have it's parents be computer".
Genome editing can also be carried out by using The Sleeping Beauty transposon system -discovered in 1997- which is a altered enzyme which can insert precise sequences of DNA into the genome of animals for the purpose of introducing new traits and discovering the functionality of new genes [5].
SB transposons have been as non-viral vectors, to essentially deliver genetic information to cells, and is thought to be really useful for gene thereapy.
Some engineered molecules known as 'biosensors' are being developed. Biosensors are molecules which have specifically engineered characteristics to enable them to sense particular attributes in their environment. Recently chemists at the University of Nebraska have covered bacteria with tiny gold particles and connected them to a silicon chip in order for them to sense changes in humidity, and collect the data on a computer system [7]. In the future, researchers hope to use biosensors to aid the detection of pollutants in water systems, or to help detect toxins in the body.
There are also many ethical disputes related to synthetic biology. The exciting division in the future is thought to eventually lead to the dispersion of bacterial genomes to the general public. It will also leave room for people allow to be able to fully re-design their own bacteria for desired characteristics. Many people feel that these engineered microbes can be used as a tool for biological warfare, and feel that these privileges should not be available for public use.
What else does the future of synthetic biology entail? Have a watch of this exciting video to find out more about what the future holds for synthetic biology! This video also talks about acorn trees growing computers...
I hope you've become as excited as I am about synthetic biology!
What ethical problems do you think will arise around synthetic biology?
Thanks for reading!
Sources:
1)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St%C3%A9phane_Leduc
2)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restriction_enzyme
3)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Har_Gobind_Khorana
4)http://www.jcvi.org/cms/research/projects/first-self-replicating-synthetic-bacterial-cell/overview/
5)http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21459777
6)http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/creating-a-new-kind-of-night-light-glow-in-the-dark-trees-9600277/?no-ist
7)http://www.nature.com/news/2005/051017/full/news051017-3.html
By gearing yeast to undergo ethanolic fermentation by limiting oxygen supplies in the microbial environment, we created beer! Very different in taste today, but the Ancient Egyptians loved it.
It's only recently we have taken this manipulation further, not just simply altering the environment in which particular microbes reside in to evoke a response from them, but actually altering the genetic make-up of microbes. A step away from biotechnology, a step toward engineering in biotechnology.
 |
| Yum, Ancient Egyptian beer. |
History of synthetic biology
Synthetic biology was arguably a proper division of biology in 1910, when the phrase was used by Stéphane Leduc (a French biologist) in a scientific publication called 'The Chemical And Physical Mechanisms Of Life' [1]. In 1978, a Nobel Prize was awarded to scientists Arber, Nathans and Smith for founding restriction enzymes [2]. Restriction enzymes are specialised proteins which can cut specific sections (restriction sites) of genes. They allow snippets of genes to be cut out and replaced with other genes- which is essentially reprogramming genetic information.
 |
| EcoRV restriction enzyme. |
Restriction enzymes are used in the production of insulin. They cut out bacterial genes in plasmids (which are bacterial genetic structures) and another form of enzyme seals a human insulin gene from where the bacterial gene was removed. This new plasmid, is called recombinant DNA. And because bacteria have rapid reproductive rates, they are able to reproduce mass amounts of the recombinant DNA, which in this case can now be known as insulin.
The production of insulin isn't the only major breakthrough related to synthetic biology, but it is certainly one of the most profound. Artificial genetic synthesis is also incredibly important in synthetic biology. A yeast tRNA was the first complete gene to be synthesised using the genetic code, by Har Gobind Khorana in 1968, who also founded the universal genetic code [3]. Since then it has become possible for almost anyone to synthesise genes, by sending desired genetic characteristics to particular companies which carry out the synthesis, for a particularly high price of course.
In May 2010, a group founded by Craig Venter, called 'Venter', had synthesised the entire genome of the bacterium Mycoplasma Mycoides using a computer, and then transplated the genome into Mycoplasma Capricolum which had all of it's genetic information removed [4]. Venter stated that "It is the first species to have it's parents be computer".
Genome editing can also be carried out by using The Sleeping Beauty transposon system -discovered in 1997- which is a altered enzyme which can insert precise sequences of DNA into the genome of animals for the purpose of introducing new traits and discovering the functionality of new genes [5].
SB transposons have been as non-viral vectors, to essentially deliver genetic information to cells, and is thought to be really useful for gene thereapy.
Future of Synthetic Biology
The future is bright and...very synthetic. Bioilluminescent trees are an idea of biology how biological systems can be altered in the face of synthetic biology. Scientists Omri Amirav-Drory and Kyle Taylor are looking at incorporating the luciferase enzyme-which is an enzyme which catalyses light-emitting reactions- into specific operons in a plant's genome, along with a specialised promoter gene and some luciferin. This ultimately leads to the emittance of light when luciferin becomes oxidised [6].Some engineered molecules known as 'biosensors' are being developed. Biosensors are molecules which have specifically engineered characteristics to enable them to sense particular attributes in their environment. Recently chemists at the University of Nebraska have covered bacteria with tiny gold particles and connected them to a silicon chip in order for them to sense changes in humidity, and collect the data on a computer system [7]. In the future, researchers hope to use biosensors to aid the detection of pollutants in water systems, or to help detect toxins in the body.
 |
| Glowing plant |
There are also many ethical disputes related to synthetic biology. The exciting division in the future is thought to eventually lead to the dispersion of bacterial genomes to the general public. It will also leave room for people allow to be able to fully re-design their own bacteria for desired characteristics. Many people feel that these engineered microbes can be used as a tool for biological warfare, and feel that these privileges should not be available for public use.
 |
| Microbe covered with gold particles |
What else does the future of synthetic biology entail? Have a watch of this exciting video to find out more about what the future holds for synthetic biology! This video also talks about acorn trees growing computers...
I hope you've become as excited as I am about synthetic biology!
What ethical problems do you think will arise around synthetic biology?
Thanks for reading!
Sources:
1)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St%C3%A9phane_Leduc
2)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restriction_enzyme
3)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Har_Gobind_Khorana
4)http://www.jcvi.org/cms/research/projects/first-self-replicating-synthetic-bacterial-cell/overview/
5)http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21459777
6)http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/creating-a-new-kind-of-night-light-glow-in-the-dark-trees-9600277/?no-ist
7)http://www.nature.com/news/2005/051017/full/news051017-3.html
No comments:
Post a Comment