The future
of synthetic biology
is bio.

Cell-Free fields of application

Synthetic biology is a scientific field which lies at the interface between life sciences and engineering. This science has been emerging for the last ten years or so and is responsible for designing and developing biological systems in the laboratory that do not exist in nature, to generate products beneficial to humanity. For example, one of the great successes of synthetic biology is the reprogramming of yeast to enable the synthesis of artemisin, a powerful antimalarial drug. Thanks to this biological system, production costs have been reduced by 90%, making this drug far more accessible.

Synthetic biology is a scientific field which lies at the interface between life sciences and engineering. This science has been emerging for the last ten years or so and is responsible for designing and developing biological systems in the laboratory that do not exist in nature, to generate products beneficial to humanity. For example, one of the great successes of synthetic biology is the reprogramming of yeast to enable the synthesis of artemisin, a powerful antimalarial drug. Thanks to this biological system, production costs have been reduced by 90%, making this drug far more accessible.

Similar to electronics, synthetic biology assembles the basic elements such as genes and proteins to produce biochemical reactions similar to the electronic components assembled in the creation of a circuit. The association of these reactions forms biological pathways that can be grouped together within a cellular unit, that can itself be part of a cellular grouping. By analogy, biological pathways are similar to the electronic modules that can be combined to create computers that are then integrated into networks.

Synthetic biology allows us to improve our understanding of the mechanisms involved in biology. Like Lego®, it is a matter of learning through building. In 2007, the first synthetic bacterium, Mycoplasma laboratorium, was produced by replacing the natural chromosome with a synthetic chromosome. Modelling and building a biological system that works as it is expected is a good way of ensuring that we understand the functioning of underlying biological phenomena.

Furthermore, synthetic biology allows the construction of reliable systems with complex biological functions in applications in strategic fields such as:

. the pharmaceutical sector where it allows the production of drugs (such as taxol, an anti-cancer agent produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae), new antibiotics, vaccines, innovative diagnostic mechanisms or the synthesis of new biological tissues.

. the chemical sector, where it allows the synthesis of compounds that are difficult or expensive to produce. Isobutene is an example, serving as a precursor for the manufacture of plastics, rubbers, lubricants and fuels. It can now be produced by a metabolic pathway created by synthetic biology from renewable resources such as agricultural and forestry waste, starch, sugar cane or beet.

. the energy sector with the availability of new alternative energy sources to fossil fuels (via the decomposition of biomass by micro-organisms to produce energy) and the production of biofuels that reduce greenhouse gas emissions (the addition of genes from algae in Escherichia coli allows for the synthesis of hydrocarbons).

. the environmental sector with the development of biosensors to detect industrial pollution or the reprogramming of organisms for sanitation. The reprogrammed Pseudomonas putida bacterium is used, for example, to clean up oil spills

. the agricultural and food sector with the use of increasingly customisable and resilient crops grown without allergenic agents, or the design of new pesticides that are more respectful of the environment and healthcare concerns.

Synthetic biology allows a transition towards more responsible and ecological production methods; a transition in which Synthelis is proud to play a part.