Synthetic genomics involves creating or modifying an organism’s genome for research or practical applications. Scientists manipulate DNA sequences to create functional synthetic genomes, with potential applications in medicine and biofuel production. The first synthetic bacterial genome was created in 2010. Synthetic genomics can be adapted for industrial and commercial applications, such as the production of biofuels or modifying plant genomes to make crops more resistant to drought or pests. It also has potential applications in medicine, such as genetically modifying microbes to act as remedies for certain diseases or aid in gene therapy.
Synthetic genomics is a field of biochemistry that focuses on the creation of the genome, the complete assembly of an organism’s genetic or hereditary information necessary for that organism to maintain life. An organism’s genome is made up of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules that form a code. Parts of this code, called genes, control the creation and interactions of proteins in the body’s cells, allowing the body to function. In synthetic genomics, scientists manipulate and recreate genomes for research purposes or for practical applications in medicine and biofuel production.
DNA is made up of repeating structural units called nucleotides, which form base pairs and create the templates that make up the genetic code. Nucleotides and DNA sequences are artificially fabricated for a variety of biochemical applications, but synthetic genomics is a more complex process. To create a functional synthetic genome, the natural genome must be known in its entirety and exactly replicated or modified in such a way that no crucial functions are affected.
In 2010, a research team based at the J. Craig Venter Institute in Rockville, Maryland created the first synthetic bacterial genome. The bacterium, Mycoplasma mycoides, has a genome made up of one million base pairs. The team was able to replicate the bacterium’s natural genome using synthetically produced nucleotides and introduce the synthetic genome into the cell of a different bacterium by replacing that bacterium’s DNA with synthetic DNA from Mycoplasma mycoides. With the new genome in place, the cell started functioning like a normal Mycoplasma mycoides cell, with all of its functions intact.
Complications in the synthesis of a genome can easily arise due to the complexity of the systems involved. For example, if a base pair is misplaced or missing, the cell may not work at all. Likewise, the biochemical processes by which the cell reads and implements information in DNA and the chemical interactions of the cellular environment with DNA must be corrected.
Synthetic genomics technology can be adapted for industrial and commercial applications, such as the production of biofuels. As of 2011, some companies are studying the possibility of creating synthetic algae that are more efficient than natural algae at trapping and transforming carbon dioxide into usable substances. Many researchers believe that engineering algae in this way could make biofuel production more economical and commercially viable.
Other projects in synthetic genomics involve synthesizing only a portion of a genome to modify an organism for use in industry or science. One example is the modification of plant genomes to make crops more resistant to drought or pests. In medicine, microbes can be genetically modified to act as remedies for certain diseases or aid in gene therapy.
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