Synthetic BiologyA Brief History
Biology begins four billion years ago, with a single cell, a tiny bubble containing the code that enabled it to assemble and reproduce itself. But, importantly, that process of reproduction wasn’t perfect; each copy introduced new mutations in the code. These changes are responsible for one of the most powerful and defining features of biology: evolution.
Over eons, that first cell and all its progeny propagated their genetic code evolved to create new functions: to eat new kinds of foods and to produce new kinds of chemicals, structures, and behaviors. As life became more, well, interactive, organisms developed tools to borrow genetic code from each other, accelerating the pace of evolution. These functions, the genetic code programming the functions, stuck around when they helped the organisms survive and create more descendants. This went on and on, leaving us an entire planet of genetic code that enables the diversity of life forms we see on the planet today.
Synthetic biology’s story begins mere decades ago, as biologists began to decode the molecular secrets of DNA. The billions-year old tools of cells—enzymes that cut, copy, and paste sequences of DNA code—are now being leveraged by humans to read, write, and edit DNA in the lab. Polymerases that copy DNA are used to enable PCR tests for COVID-19 and the CRISPR/Cas system from bacteria now enables editing of human genomes to potentially cure genetic diseases.
Today synthetic biologists are using these tools to learn from the full breadth of evolution and biodiversity to write new biological code. Simple soil bacteria produce everything from antibiotics to the smell of fresh rain. We can reuse elements of the DNA that runs these programs to make new products. Biochemistry is extraordinarily versatile; we've reused DNA libraries across applications as diverse as fine fragrances, baking, and consumer electronics. We may be able to develop programs that can undo new human-made “forever chemicals” and chemical bonds that biology has never evolved to encounter previously.
As cell programmers, we operate with humility and respect for biology. Our tools are borrowed; the history of biotechnology is a mere blink of an eye compared to the history of living things.
biological evolution
Synthetic Biology
A Brief History
Biology begins four billion years ago, with a single cell, a tiny bubble containing the code that enabled it to assemble and reproduce itself. But, importantly, that process of reproduction wasn’t perfect; each copy introduced new mutations in the code. These changes are responsible for one of the most powerful and defining features of biology: evolution.
Over eons, that first cell and all its progeny propagated their genetic code evolved to create new functions: to eat new kinds of foods and to produce new kinds of chemicals, structures, and behaviors. As life became more, well, interactive, organisms developed tools to borrow genetic code from each other, accelerating the pace of evolution. These functions, the genetic code programming the functions, stuck around when they helped the organisms survive and create more descendants. This went on and on, leaving us an entire planet of genetic code that enables the diversity of life forms we see on the planet today.
Synthetic biology’s story begins mere decades ago, as biologists began to decode the molecular secrets of DNA. The billions-year old tools of cells—enzymes that cut, copy, and paste sequences of DNA code—are now being leveraged by humans to read, write, and edit DNA in the lab. Polymerases that copy DNA are used to enable PCR tests for COVID-19 and the CRISPR/Cas system from bacteria now enables editing of human genomes to potentially cure genetic diseases.
Today synthetic biologists are using these tools to learn from the full breadth of evolution and biodiversity to write new biological code. Simple soil bacteria produce everything from antibiotics to the smell of fresh rain. We can reuse elements of the DNA that runs these programs to make new products. Biochemistry is extraordinarily versatile; we've reused DNA libraries across applications as diverse as fine fragrances, baking, and consumer electronics. We may be able to develop programs that can undo new human-made “forever chemicals” and chemical bonds that biology has never evolved to encounter previously.
As cell programmers, we operate with humility and respect for biology. Our tools are borrowed; the history of biotechnology is a mere blink of an eye compared to the history of living things.
