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Synthetic Biology

Synthetic 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.
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Carbon dioxide fixation in prokaryotes enables the assimilation of inorganic carbon into organic molecules, supporting biosynthetic pathways, sustaining ecosystems, and contributing to the global carbon cycle. It also has industrial applications in carbon capture and bioproduct synthesis. Autotrophic organisms rely on this process to utilize CO₂ as a carbon source in diverse environments.The Calvin CycleThe Calvin cycle is the most widespread carbon fixation mechanism, primarily used by...

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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...

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Related Experiment Video

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A Web Tool for Generating High Quality Machine-readable Biological Pathways

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Pathway engineering for the biosynthesis of psychedelics.

Zachary N Abrahms¹, Abhishek K Sen¹, J Andrew Jones¹

¹Miami University, Department of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering, Oxford, OH, USA.

Current Opinion in Biotechnology

|May 17, 2025

Summary

Synthetic biology enables the production of psychoactive compounds like psilocybin and mescaline. This research highlights advancements in microbial production of these important indoleamine, ergoline, and phenethylamine compounds.

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Area of Science:

Biotechnology
Synthetic Biology
Neuroscience

Background:

Psychoactive compounds have historical ethnomedical uses.
Renewed interest in therapeutic potential drives research.
Understanding cellular mechanisms is key for novel production.

Purpose of the Study:

To review recent biosynthetic achievements for key psychoactive compounds.
To identify successful enzymes for heterologous expression.
To explore alternative production routes using synthetic biology.

Main Methods:

Review of current literature on microbial biosynthesis of psychoactive compounds.
Compilation of successful heterologous expression of biosynthetic enzymes.
Analysis of production hosts (eukaryotic and prokaryotic).

Main Results:

Successful biosynthesis of indolamines (psilocybin, DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, bufotenine), ergolines (lysergic acid), and phenethylamines (mescaline).
Identification of specific enzymes with reported in vivo heterologous activity.
Demonstration of both eukaryotic and prokaryotic hosts for compound production.

Conclusions:

Synthetic biology offers viable alternative production routes for psychedelic compounds.
Advancements in enzyme engineering and host selection are crucial.
This work provides a foundation for further development in the field.