Synthetic biology: Engineering off the beaten pathway

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...

Overview

The central dogma explains the flow of genetic information from DNA nucleotides to the amino acid sequence of proteins.
RNA is the Missing Link Between DNA and Proteins
In the early 1900s, scientists discovered that DNA stores all the information needed for cellular functions and that proteins perform most of these functions. However, the mechanisms of converting genetic information into functional proteins remained unknown for many years. Initially, it was believed that a single gene is...

Crop cultivation has a long history in human civilization, with records showing the cultivation of cereal plants beginning at around 8000 BC. This early plant breeding was developed primarily to provide a steady supply of food.

Biosynthesis in bacteria is a fundamental anabolic process that generates essential macromolecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and polysaccharides. These macromolecules are critical for cellular growth, replication, and function. The process is tightly regulated and energetically linked to catabolic pathways to ensure optimal resource utilization.Biosynthetic pathways begin with precursor metabolites such as pyruvate, acetyl-CoA, and glucose-6-phosphate derived from glycolysis,...