Synthetic Biology

SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
Making life better

1. WHAT IS THE INNOVATION? WHAT IS NEW? WHAT HAS CHANGED AS A CONSEQUENCE?

2.1. Definition of Synthetic Biotechnology

To begin with, it is important to understand what does synthetic biology means. Synthetic biology derives from traditional biotechnology. Traditional biotechnology is defined as any technological application that usessystems living organisms or derivatives to make or modify products or processes for specific uses. This concept is linked to Genetic engineering which involves the manipulation of genetic composition by introducing or eliminating specific genes through molecular biology techniques and DNA recombination. In other words, Engineering Genetics allows editing the genetic message in order to manipulate themessages of the DNA. The continued advancement of genetic engineering has caused the birth of a new field called Synthetic Biology.

Synthetic biology is a new growing science that focuses on re-building natural biological systems. As it was mentioned before, it is the engineering of biology: the synthesis of complex, biologically inspired systems which display functions that do not exist innature. This science can be applied to all the levels of biological structures, from individual molecules to organisms. Consequently, synthetic biology will enable the design of ‘biological systems’ in a rational and systematic way. Synthetic biology is not a “discovery science”, it does not investigate how nature works, but it is ultimately about a new way of making things. Synthetic biology aims tocreate new programmable bodies, it means, creating microorganisms in so that they behave like small computers.

This means that Synthetic biology is a new area of biological research that combines science and engineering, with the main objective of designing and constructing new biological functions and systems not found in nature by modifying the DNA message of a biological structure.2.2. Applications of Synthetic Biology
The development of new discipline has influenced many sectors ranging from chemical and pharmaceutical industry, to environmental by developing new renewable energy. We have differentiated 5 sectors that will be described hereby: environment, new materials, industrial processes, energy and biomedicine. Synthetic Biology applications with more imminentprospects of development are related to the environment, while biomedicine is presented as the application development prospects in a longer term.

* Environment
The Scientists have not yet meet the high expectations about environmental applications of synthetic biology. Their main objective in the following 5 years is to develop solutions in order to remediate environmental problems, usingsynthetic biology as an important tool. However, this new era of environmental biotechnology researches are focused towards the design of complex systems and redesign of biological components in electronic circuits. There is an interesting example of this new application called bioremediation.
• Bioremediation: consist on the use of modified bacteria and fungi as tools in order to eliminate toxiccompounds in the soil. The main purpose of Bioremediation is to develop the most efficient agencies in the decontamination of ecosystems. They are planning to use E.coli and Pseudomonas Aeruginosa to the degradation of petroleum products as well to the accumulation of heavy metals and compounds radioactive cell walls

* New Materials
There are several mechanisms through which proteins, virusand modified organisms can be applied to processes of developing new Biomaterials. These biomaterials are drug-inert materials, used for being introduced inside alive systems, for replacing any function that is in contact with body fluids.
The main related areas that will be benefit by the development of Synthetic Biology are: Biomedical materials, Sensors, Energy-converters materials,...