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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Using Synthetic Biology to Engineer Living Cells That Interface with Programmable Materials
Published on: March 9, 2017
Engineering living materials by synthetic biology
Jiren Luo1, Jiangfeng Chen1, Yaoge Huang1
1Materials Synthetic Biology Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
Abstract:
Natural biological materials are programmed by genetic information and able to self-organize, respond to environmental stimulus, and couple with inorganic matter. Inspired by the natural system and to mimic their complex and delicate fabrication process and functions, the field of engineered living materials emerges at the interface of synthetic biology and materials science. Here, we review the recent efforts and discuss the challenges and future opportunities.
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