Curated Papers > High-impact authoritative literature on "Synthetic Biology"

Synthetic biology: an emerging engineering discipline.

Literature Information

DOI	10.1146/annurev-bioeng-071811-150118
PMID	22577777
Journal	Annual review of biomedical engineering
Impact Factor	9.6
JCR Quartile	Q1
Publication Year	2012
Times Cited	86
Keywords	Synthetic Biology, Engineering Discipline, Biological Systems, Design Platforms, Biomedical Engineering
Literature Type	Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S., Review
ISSN	1523-9829
Pages	155-78
Issue	14()
Authors	Allen A Cheng, Timothy K Lu

TL;DR

This review highlights the evolution of synthetic biology as an engineering discipline, emphasizing the transition from proof-of-concept designs to the establishment of core platforms that facilitate high-throughput biological engineering across the entire design cycle. By addressing inherent challenges and promoting generalizable techniques, the research underscores the potential impact of synthetic biology on biomedical engineering and human health.

Search for more papers on MaltSci.com

Synthetic Biology · Engineering Discipline · Biological Systems · Design Platforms · Biomedical Engineering

Abstract

Over the past decade, synthetic biology has emerged as an engineering discipline for biological systems. Compared with other substrates, biology poses a unique set of engineering challenges resulting from an incomplete understanding of natural biological systems and tools for manipulating them. To address these challenges, synthetic biology is advancing from developing proof-of-concept designs to focusing on core platforms for rational and high-throughput biological engineering. These platforms span the entire biological design cycle, including DNA construction, parts libraries, computational design tools, and interfaces for manipulating and probing synthetic circuits. The development of these enabling technologies requires an engineering mindset to be applied to biology, with an emphasis on generalizable techniques in addition to application-specific designs. This review aims to discuss the progress and challenges in synthetic biology and to illustrate areas where synthetic biology may impact biomedical engineering and human health.

MaltSci.com AI Research Service

Intelligent ReadingAnswer any question about the paper and explain complex charts and formulas

Locate StatementsFind traces of a specific claim within the paper

Add to KBasePerform data extraction, report drafting, and advanced knowledge mining

Primary Questions Addressed

1. What are the specific engineering challenges that synthetic biology faces compared to traditional engineering disciplines?
2. How can synthetic biology techniques be integrated into existing biomedical engineering practices to enhance human health outcomes?
3. What role do computational design tools play in the advancement of synthetic biology platforms?
4. In what ways can synthetic biology contribute to the development of sustainable biological systems and renewable resources?
5. How does the understanding of natural biological systems inform the design of synthetic circuits in engineering applications?

Key Findings

Key Insights

1. Research Background and Objectives: Synthetic biology has rapidly evolved into a distinct engineering discipline focused on the manipulation of biological systems. Over the past decade, it has gained prominence due to its potential to address complex biological challenges that arise from the incomplete understanding of natural biological systems. The primary objective of this review is to analyze the advancements and obstacles faced in the field of synthetic biology, while highlighting its implications for biomedical engineering and human health.

2. Main Methods and Findings: The review discusses the transition of synthetic biology from simple proof-of-concept designs to the development of foundational platforms that facilitate rational and high-throughput biological engineering. Key methods include the establishment of comprehensive biological design cycles encompassing DNA construction, parts libraries, computational design tools, and interfaces for manipulating synthetic circuits. These platforms represent a systematic approach to biological design, enabling researchers to better predict outcomes and improve the efficiency of synthetic biology applications. The review emphasizes the necessity of applying an engineering mindset to biology, promoting generalizable methodologies alongside application-specific designs.

3. Core Conclusions: The core conclusion drawn from this review is that synthetic biology is maturing into a robust engineering discipline that can systematically tackle the intricacies of biological systems. By developing standardized platforms and tools, synthetic biology is poised to enhance our ability to design and manipulate biological entities more effectively. The emphasis on rational design and high-throughput methodologies marks a significant shift that could lead to breakthrough innovations in various fields, particularly in biomedical engineering.

4. Research Significance and Impact: The significance of this research lies in its potential to transform how biological systems are engineered, with far-reaching implications for human health and disease management. By addressing the unique challenges posed by biological substrates, synthetic biology could lead to revolutionary advancements in areas such as therapeutics, diagnostics, and tissue engineering. The review underscores the importance of fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among biologists, engineers, and computational scientists to fully harness the capabilities of synthetic biology. As this field continues to grow, it is likely to unlock new avenues for innovation that could profoundly impact public health and biotechnological advancements in the coming years.

Literatures Citing This Work

1. Maintaining system homeostasis: the third law of Newtonian immunology. - Ronald N Germain - Nature immunology (2012)
2. Cultural evolutionary tipping points in the storage and transmission of information. - R Alexander Bentley;Michael J O'Brien - Frontiers in psychology (2012)
3. Synthetic circuits integrating logic and memory in living cells. - Piro Siuti;John Yazbek;Timothy K Lu - Nature biotechnology (2013)
4. Synthetic biology: advancing the design of diverse genetic systems. - Yen-Hsiang Wang;Kathy Y Wei;Christina D Smolke - Annual review of chemical and biomolecular engineering (2013)
5. Synthetic biology of antimicrobial discovery. - Bijan Zakeri;Timothy K Lu - ACS synthetic biology (2013)
6. Emerging tools for synthetic genome design. - Bo-Rahm Lee;Suhyung Cho;Yoseb Song;Sun Chang Kim;Byung-Kwan Cho - Molecules and cells (2013)
7. Translational cross talk in gene networks. - William H Mather;Jeff Hasty;Lev S Tsimring;Ruth J Williams - Biophysical journal (2013)
8. Building a better stop sign: understanding the signals that terminate transcription. - Rachel Anne Mooney;Robert Landick - Nature methods (2013)
9. Towards a whole-cell modeling approach for synthetic biology. - Oliver Purcell;Bonny Jain;Jonathan R Karr;Markus W Covert;Timothy K Lu - Chaos (Woodbury, N.Y.) (2013)
10. Tunable and multifunctional eukaryotic transcription factors based on CRISPR/Cas. - Fahim Farzadfard;Samuel D Perli;Timothy K Lu - ACS synthetic biology (2013)

... (76 more literatures)

---

© 2025 MaltSci - We reshape scientific research with AI technology