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Artwork drawn by participants at an International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM ) competition, where undergraduates design, build and test simple biological systems made from standard, interchangeable biological parts (p.1099). This issue focuses on the emerging field of synthetic biology. Credits: Kim Caesar, based on a photograph provided by David Appleyard/iGEM.
Biofuels top the list of products for many biotech companies using advanced biological engineering. Cormac Sheridan examines the diverse commercial paths being taken to reach this goal.
Do it yourself 'biohackers' want to break down institutional barriers and bring science to the people. But good intentions are up against the hard realities of doing science. Joe Alper reports, with additional reporting by Laura DeFrancesco.
Innovative community efforts in academia and non-profits to engage student researchers, encourage open sharing of DNA constructs and new methodology as well as build a Registry of Standardized Biological Parts have been central to the emergence of synthetic biology.
Moral concerns as to the relationship of synthetic biology with nature do not provide a convincing basis for more stringent regulatory oversight of the field.
The emergence of synthetic biology, and off-shoots such as DIYbio, make the need for a rigorous, sustained and mature approach for assessing, and preparing for, the broad range of associated dangers and risks all the more pressing.
As the market for DNA on demand continues to grow, increases in the scale and efficiency of new genome engineering approaches promise to accelerate product discovery and even open up new commercial opportunities.
When prioritizing hits from a high-throughput experiment, it is important to correct for random events that falsely appear significant. How is this done and what methods should be used?
Patwardhan et al. describe a high-throughput approach for analyzing at single-nucleotide resolution the DNA regulatory sequences that control gene expression. Characterizing these sequences in a massively parallel manner will be useful for deciphering the regulatory logic of the cell and for synthetic biology.
The feasibility of recycling CO2 to biofuels in photosynthetic organisms will depend on advances in productivity and product-purification efficiency. Atsumi et al. improve the direct conversion of CO2 by engineering Synechococcus elongatus to produce isobutyraldehyde, which can be easily recovered from the production medium.
Telomerase-independent telomere lengthening is a potential target for cancer therapy, but molecules specific to this pathway have remained elusive. Henson et al. show that DNA circles of (CCCTAA)n are specific intermediates of alternative lengthening of telomeres and present a sensitive assay to detect them.
Rapid clearance frequently complicates therapeutic use of proteins and peptides. Schellenberger et al. demonstrate that genetic fusion of an unstructured polypeptide offers a general strategy to extend peptide or protein half-life in vivo in a tunable manner.
The latest iteration of genetic engineering offers the prospect of the design and construction of new life forms from biological parts, devices and systems. Although still in its infancy, this focus discusses some of the progress in synthetic biology toward practical applications.