Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026
11:22
Automated Robotic Liquid Handling Assembly of Modular DNA Devices
Published on: December 1, 2017
Structural synthetic biotechnology: from molecular structure to predictable design for industrial strain development
Zhen Chen1, Matthias Wilmanns, An-Ping Zeng
1Institute of Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, Hamburg University of Technology, Denickestrasse 15, D-21073 Hamburg, Germany.
Trends in Biotechnology
|August 24, 2010
Summary
Structural synthetic biotechnology integrates structural and synthetic biology to engineer superior industrial microbial strains. This novel approach addresses current limitations in controlling cellular reactions for enhanced productivity and robustness.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Synthetic Biology
- Structural Biology
Background:
- Industrial biotechnology demands highly productive and robust microbial strains.
- Current strain development methods lack precise molecular-level control and predictive power.
- Limitations hinder the ability to meet the growing demands of industrial applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a new field, structural synthetic biotechnology.
- To integrate structural and synthetic biology for microbial strain development.
- To overcome limitations in current industrial biotechnology practices.
Main Methods:
- Leveraging atomic-level insights from structural biology.
- Utilizing synthetic biology tools for metabolic engineering.
- Combining these disciplines to create precisely controllable biological modules.
Main Results:
- Identified a need for integrating separate fields of structural and synthetic biology.
- Proposed a novel interdisciplinary approach for strain development.
- Highlighted the potential for enhanced control and predictability in microbial systems.
Conclusions:
- Structural synthetic biotechnology offers a promising avenue for advancing industrial microbial strain development.
- Integration of structural and synthetic biology can unlock synergistic potential.
- This new field can significantly improve the efficiency and robustness of industrial microorganisms.
Related Concept Videos
02:55Synthetic Biology
Synthetic biology is an interdisciplinary science that involves using principles from disciplines such as engineering, molecular biology, cell biology, and systems biology. It involves remodeling existing organisms from nature or constructing completely new synthetic organisms for applications such as protein or enzyme production, bioremediation, value-added macromolecule production, and the addition of desirable traits to crops, to name a few.
Golden rice
Golden rice is a genetically modified...
Golden rice
Golden rice is a genetically modified...
01:22Bioreactor Controls-III
Strain improvement is a foundational strategy in industrial microbiology aimed at maximizing microbial productivity, particularly because natural isolates typically yield commercially valuable products in very low concentrations. Although optimizing the culture medium and environmental conditions can improve yields, these adjustments are inherently limited by the organism’s genetic potential. As a result, the focus shifts toward genetic modifications to enhance biosynthetic capacity. The...
01:29Bioreactor Design and Operational System
Bioreactors are engineered vessels designed to cultivate microorganisms under controlled conditions for industrial bioprocessing. They maintain sterility and allow precise regulation of pH, temperature, oxygen, and nutrient levels to optimize microbial growth and metabolite production. Bioreactors range from small laboratory units of 1 liter to industrial systems holding up to 500,000 liters, though only about 75% of their volume is actively used for fermentation. The remaining headspace...
01:30Production of Pharmaceuticals
Industrial insulin production uses genetically engineered E. coli expressing a proinsulin gene controlled by a tryptophan promoter and containing a methionine linker for later cleavage. The cells also carry ampicillin resistance for selective growth. Seed cultures are stored at −80 °C and production begins by thawing a small amount to inoculate starter cultures, which are progressively scaled to a 50,000-L bioreactor. In the bioreactor, E. coli grow in nutrient-rich media under sterile, tightly...
01:27Upstream Processing
Upstream processing represents a critical phase in biomanufacturing, wherein biological systems such as microorganisms, mammalian cells, or insect cells are cultivated to produce therapeutic proteins, vaccines, enzymes, or other biologically derived products. This phase encompasses all steps from the selection and genetic manipulation of the production organism to the cultivation of cells in bioreactors under tightly controlled environmental conditions.Host Selection and Genetic OptimizationThe...
01:27Production of Antibiotics
Penicillin, one of the earliest and most widely used antibiotics, is produced industrially by the filamentous fungus Penicillium chrysogenum. Large stirred-tank bioreactors ranging from tens to hundreds of thousands of liters maintain tightly controlled temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen conditions to support fungal metabolism and maximize antibiotic yield. Penicillin is a secondary metabolite, synthesized primarily during the stationary growth phase, which requires a carefully managed...