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Are we doing synthetic biology?

Manuel Porcar1, Juli Peretó

  • 1Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Apartat, Postal 22085, 46071 Valencia, Spain ; Fundació General de la Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain ; Departament de Genètica, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain.

Systems and Synthetic Biology
|December 3, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Synthetic biology research often extends metabolic engineering, not true life synthesis. The complexity of organisms limits engineering, suggesting careful use of the term synthetic biology.

Keywords:
Artificial lifeMetabolic engineeringSynthetic biology

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Area of Science:

  • Synthetic Biology
  • Metabolic Engineering
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Synthetic biology (SB) is presented as revolutionary, but its engineering principles are questioned.
  • The scope of SB research, particularly concerning artificial life synthesis, is debated.
  • Existing SB approaches may overlap with or extend current biotechnology and metabolic engineering.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current state of synthetic biology research.
  • To determine if SB research is fundamentally based on engineering principles.
  • To clarify the relationship between synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, and biotechnology.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of synthetic biology research projects.
  • Analysis of research methodologies and stated goals.
  • Comparison of SB approaches with established metabolic engineering and biotechnology principles.

Main Results:

  • Most reviewed synthetic biology research projects represent an extension of metabolic engineering.
  • The inherent complexity of living organisms and limited knowledge of molecular interactions hinder true engineering of life.
  • Current SB practices often do not meet the criteria for artificial life synthesis or advanced engineering beyond biotechnology.

Conclusions:

  • The term "synthetic biology" may be overused and should be applied more judiciously.
  • Current research largely builds upon metabolic engineering rather than representing a distinct, revolutionary engineering discipline.
  • Significant challenges remain in engineering biological systems due to their complexity and evolutionary constraints.