Synthetic Biology: Innovations, Applications & Future of Bioengineering

Synthetic biology—sounds complicated, right? At first glance, it’d sense like some area of interest sci-fi concept instantly out of a futuristic film. But reality be told, this area is more toward your everyday life than you watched. From drugs to fuel, crops to garb, synthetic biology is quietly turning into one of the most influential technologies of the twenty irst century.

Let’s take a closer look at what artificial biology is, why it’s essential, and how it’s shaping industries today. And don’t fear—I’ll keep it simple and sprinkle in some humor to hold you entertained. After all, science doesn’t need to be dry or dull.

What Exactly Is Synthetic Biology?

I still remember the moment synthetic biology stopped being “just another science term” for me. I was sitting in a small, dusty classroom in Khulna where a university student was giving a community talk. He pulled out a slide showing a glowing plant and asked,

“What if we could light homes in villages without electricity using plants?”

That’s when it hit me—this isn’t science fiction. This is happening.

Synthetic Biology in Plain Words

Forget the complicated definitions. At its heart, synthetic biology is about redesigning life—not just understanding how living things work, but building new systems or organisms that do something useful.

You can think of it as a mix between biology and engineering. Scientists use parts of cells—DNA, genes, proteins—like programmable tools. They arrange them to build living organisms that can:

• Clean up oil spills
• Produce vaccines
• Sense toxins in drinking water
• Or even help crops grow better without chemical fertilizers

Unlike traditional biology that studies what already exists, synthetic biology asks:
“What can we create that nature hasn’t yet?”

A Simple Analogy That Actually Sticks

Let’s say biology is like cooking with grandma’s recipes. You follow the steps, maybe adjust a few spices, but you stick to what’s been done.

Synthetic biology is like writing your own recipe from scratch. You pick the ingredients—genes in this case—and design how they’ll work together.

For example:

• You take a harmless bacteria
• Add a gene from a jellyfish that makes it glow
• Now you’ve got a glowing biosensor for water pollution

It sounds futuristic, but it’s very real.

Real World Applications That Are Already Changing Lives

1. Plastic Eating Bacteria in Japan

In 2016, Japanese researchers found a bacterium near a bottle recycling site that could digest PET plastic—the kind used in soda bottles. Scientists studied its enzyme and redesigned it to work faster, helping break down waste that would otherwise take 500 years to decompose.
Yoshida et al., 2016, Science

2. Yeast Making Malaria Medicine

For years, malaria treatment relied on a plant called Artemisia annua, but the supply was unstable and costly. In 2006, scientists modified yeast to produce artemisinin, the active ingredient in malaria drugs, using sugar and fermentation. This breakthrough helped stabilize the global medicine supply.
Ro et al., 2006, Nature

3. Bangladeshi Students Detecting Arsenic

Back home in Bangladesh, arsenic contamination in groundwater is still a big concern. In 2022, a student team from Dhaka used synthetic biology to engineer E. coli bacteria that change color when they detect arsenic. They developed this project at iGEM, a global synthetic biology competition. I met one of the students who said,

“We’re not just learning science. We’re trying to solve real problems in our villages.”
That moment stayed with me.

What Makes Synthetic Biology Different from Regular Genetic Engineering?

Good question.

• Genetic engineering edits a few genes in an organism. Think of it like editing a paragraph in a book.

• Synthetic biology writes an entirely new chapter—or even a whole book. It combines genes from different species, creates custom designed DNA sequences, and builds entirely new biological systems.

It’s more powerful—but also more complex, and it demands careful planning and responsibility.

Is It Safe? What About Ethics?

Whenever we try to reprogram life, people worry—and rightfully so. Concerns include:

• Could engineered organisms escape and damage ecosystems?
• Should companies be allowed to patent life?
• Can these tools be used for harm?

That’s why every major synthetic biology project is now monitored by international biosafety standards, ethics boards, and public engagement.

Global Oversight Bodies:

• Royal Society (UK)
• U.S. Presidential Commission on Bioethics
• BioBricks Foundation
• iGEM Safety and Security Committee

Their goal? Make sure innovation doesn’t outpace responsibility.

Royal Society Report: Synthetic biology must be developed transparently and safely.

Summary Table: Synthetic Biology at a Glance

Feature	Explanation
Main Goal	Design or redesign biological systems for specific, useful purposes
Tools Used	DNA editing, gene circuits, CRISPR, enzymes
Key Differences	Goes beyond genetic modification—builds new biological “machines”
Applications	Health, agriculture, environment, energy, biofuels, pollution control
Benefits	Sustainable production, fast diagnostics, renewable resources
Risks & Concerns	Bioethics, ecosystem disruption, misuse, corporate control

Why is synthetic biology a big deal?

I’ll be honest: synthetic biology used to sound like just another buzzword from a science podcast I couldn’t finish. But the more I looked into it, the more I realized—it’s not just cool science. It’s quietly solving some of the biggest problems we face—from life threatening diseases to climate breakdown.

This isn’t a field tucked away in labs anymore. It’s in your food, your clothes, your medicine cabinet. Let’s break it down, no fancy jargon—just real examples of how synthetic biology (synbio) is changing the game.

1. Medicine That Actually Saves Lives

Remember when insulin was made from pigs?
It was expensive, complicated, and inaccessible for many. That changed when scientists figured out how to engineer bacteria to produce human insulin in the 1980s. That’s one of synthetic biology’s earliest wins—and it hasn’t slowed down since.

Gene Therapy: Fixing Diseases at the Source

Synthetic biology allows scientists to design genetic tools that repair or silence faulty genes—the root cause of many inherited diseases.

For example, CRISPR Cas9 gene editing , a tool powered by synthetic biology has already been used to treat sickle cell anemia in patients with promising results.
New England Journal of Medicine, 2021

For an in depth understanding of CRISPR, please refer to my dedicated article on the topic: CRISPR in Agriculture

Custom Built Drugs

Instead of extracting rare compounds from plants, scientists now program microbes to manufacture medicines on demand.

Real Story:
For years, artemisinin, the main anti malarial drug, was harvested from the sweet wormwood plant slow growing and expensive.
In 2006, Jay Keasling and his team at UC Berkeley engineered yeast to produce it instead. The result? Cheaper, scalable production that saved millions of lives in malaria prone regions.
Ro et al., Nature, 2006

Faster, Smarter Vaccines

The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines? They wouldn’t exist without synthetic biology. The ability to synthesize specific genetic instructions allowed vaccine developers to respond to a global emergency in record time.

2. Feeding a Crowded Planet

Feeding 8+ billion people isn’t getting any easier. Land is scarce, water is limited, and climate patterns are shifting. Synthetic biology offers clever ways to grow more food with fewer resources.

Drought Resistant Crops

By tweaking plant genes, scientists can help crops survive dry seasons, poor soils, and pest attacks—a game changer for farmers in countries like Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and India.

Nutritious Solutions: Golden Rice

Golden Rice is biofortified with Vitamin A, designed to prevent blindness and immune deficiency in malnourished populations.

It’s controversial in some places, but undeniably powerful where Vitamin A deficiency is rampant.

Tang et al., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2009

Sustainable Farming with Engineered Microbes

Chemical fertilizers often cause runoff, polluting rivers and oceans. Synthetic biology is developing “smart microbes” that live in the soil and feed plants nitrogen naturally, without harming the environment.

Imagine rice paddies in Bangladesh fed by bacteria instead of harmful urea. That’s not science fiction—it’s pilot tested in multiple agricultural zones.

3. A Cleaner Planet, One Microbe at a Time

I grew up watching plastic pile up in rivers near my grandfather’s farm. For years, we thought that mess was permanent. Now, thanks to synthetic biology, bacteria are being designed to eat that plastic.

Biofuels from Waste

Instead of drilling oil, companies are programming algae and bacteria to convert organic waste into fuel.
It’s not just about replacing gasoline—it’s about making energy cleaner, local, and circular.

Plastic Eating Enzymes

In 2016, researchers found a plastic digesting bacterium in Japan and enhanced its enzymes using synthetic biology.

The bacterium breaks down PET plastics into harmless materials. If scaled, this could revolutionize recycling.
Yoshida et al., Science, 2016

CO₂ Capturing Organisms

Some startups are building algae farms that inhale carbon dioxide and exhale useful materials, like fuel, protein, or fertilizer. These aren’t ideas—they’re already being tested from Iceland to California.

Real Company: LanzaTech, based in Illinois, is turning industrial carbon emissions into ethanol, which can be used for jet fuel and perfume.
Forbes, 2023

4. Reinventing Fashion and Materials

Fashion may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of biology—but it should be.

Synthetic Spider Silk

A company called Bolt Threads is producing silk using engineered yeast cells. This lab grown silk mimics spider silk—light, strong, biodegradable.

I once held a sample scarf made from this material at a clean tech expo in Dhaka. It felt like cotton but had the strength of nylon—without petroleum or animal cruelty.

Leather Without Cows

Other startups are using cells to grow lab made leather, cutting down the need for livestock farming and harsh tanning chemicals.

Self Healing Fabrics

Some researchers are developing clothes that can repair small tears by mimicking the way skin heals itself—combining materials science with engineered proteins.

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2021

Summary Table: Why Synthetic Biology Matters

Field	Real World Impact
Medicine	Insulin, gene therapy, artemisinin, mRNA vaccines
Agriculture	Drought resistant crops, Vitamin A rice, bio fertilizers
Environment	Plastic degrading enzymes, carbon capturing microbes, biofuels from waste
Industry & Fashion	Spider silk, lab grown leather, self healing materials

How Does It Work?

The Simple Truth from a Curious Mind

When I first heard about synthetic biology, I pictured sci-fi robots and glowing frogs. It sounded like something far beyond my world. But it’s not. It’s just science using tools we already have—DNA, cells, proteins—and rebuilding life’s engine with a screwdriver and blueprint.

It turns out, this isn’t distant future tech. It’s real, it’s happening now, and the way it works is surprisingly simple… once someone explains it properly. So, let me do that for you.

1. DNA Editing – The Starting Line of Life Engineering

Synthetic biology often begins with DNA—the instruction manual that tells every living thing how to grow, move, eat, and reproduce.

Now imagine you want to change those instructions. You can:

• Add a new gene like a plug in feature
• Remove a faulty gene like deleting a bug in code
• Or tweak how a gene behaves like changing brightness on your phone

This process is called gene editing, and tools like CRISPR Cas9 have made it precise, cheap, and fast.

Real Story:
I once met a bioengineering student in Chittagong who added a jellyfish gene into E. coli bacteria. You know what happened? The bacteria glowed green in the dark. He said it took him three tries, a late night lab session, and “way too much coffee.” That’s the beauty of it—it’s real life, not just theory.

Source: Jinek et al., Science, 2012 – CRISPR gene editing breakthrough

2. Building Gene Circuits – Programming Cells Like Tiny Computers

This part fascinated me the most. Cells don’t just carry genes—they respond to the world. Scientists realized they could build logic inside cells, like “if this, then that.”

Just like electric circuits turn on a light when you flip a switch, gene circuits can tell cells to:

• Turn on a protein when they detect sugar
• Self destruct if they leave the lab
• Only make a drug inside a human body

It’s biology running on code, not wires.

Example:
Researchers built a “cancer detector” cell. It reads the molecular signals inside a person’s body and releases a toxin only if it’s inside a cancer cell, sparing healthy ones. That’s gene circuit logic in action.

Source: Elowitz & Leibler, Nature, 2000 – Synthetic gene circuits

3. BioBricks – The LEGO of Genetic Design

Here’s where synthetic biology gets hands on.

BioBricks are standard pieces of DNA that scientists around the world can use and reuse. Just like you’d use LEGO bricks to build a castle, you can combine BioBricks to create custom microbes.

Want yeast that smells like bananas? There’s a DNA part for that.
Need a kill switch in your bacteria? There’s a plug in gene for it.
These parts are stored in open source libraries, so students, researchers, and even high school teams can access and build with them.

Real Case – iGEM Bangladesh 2022:
A team from Dhaka designed bacteria that could detect arsenic in drinking water and turn red when it found contamination. They used BioBricks from the iGEM registry. It wasn’t perfect, but it worked—and more importantly, it was built by young people who just wanted clean water in their community.

Source: Shetty et al., Journal of Biological Engineering, 2008

What Happens After You Build Something

It’s not all glory and glowing microbes. Every new organism must be tested under strict safety conditions, especially if it’s meant to leave the lab.

Engineered cells are usually:

• Programmed to die if they escape the lab
• Tested across hundreds of trials before release
• Reviewed by biosafety committees and ethics panels

This is why synthetic biology still requires patience. It’s not about rushing—it’s about getting it right.

Source: Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, 2010

Summary Table: How Synthetic Biology Works

Step	What Happens in Simple Terms	Real Example
DNA Editing	Adding, deleting, or changing genes in an organism	Making glowing bacteria using jellyfish DNA
Building Gene Circuits	Programming cells to behave in logical ways	Drug released only in cancer cells
Using BioBricks	Mixing and matching standard DNA parts to build new functions	Yeast that smells like roses; safety genes

Challenges for Synthetic Biology

What We Don’t Always Talk About .

Let’s be real: synthetic biology feels like something straight out of a science fiction movie. Bacteria that clean pollution. Crops that grow faster. Yeast that brews medicine. It all sounds incredible—and much of it is. But behind the excitement, there’s a less glamorous side that doesn’t always make it into the headlines.

Like most powerful tools, synthetic biology has its own set of challenges. And they’re not small.

1. Ethics: The Question No One Can Escape

One evening, after a long seminar on gene editing at a university in Dhaka, a student stood up and asked:

“Are we trying to replace nature with machines?”

The room fell silent for a moment. That question hits hard, doesn’t it?

Synthetic biology doesn’t just tweak nature—it builds new life from scratch. We’re talking about crafting organisms that never existed before, designing their DNA like software.

That brings up some serious ethical questions:

• Should humans design life just because we can?
• What if we accidentally create something harmful?
• Who decides what’s ethical—and who watches the decision makers?

These aren’t just movie plots. These are real discussions in academic circles, labs, and even government meetings. The UNESCO Bioethics Committee has repeatedly stressed the importance of ethical boundaries in emerging biotechnologies.

Reference: UNESCO International Bioethics Committee (2021)

2. Biosafety: What Happens If It Gets Out?

Here’s something a lot of people don’t realize: nature doesn’t care about our lab rules.

Imagine a modified microbe created to eat plastic in landfills. Great idea, right? Now imagine it leaks into a natural ecosystem and starts attacking natural cellulose in plants. That’s not so great anymore.

Researchers do build in safeguards—what they call “kill switches” or dependency genes that ensure the organism can’t survive outside the lab. But biology is slippery. Evolution doesn’t always follow rules.

Real Life Story

A research group in Switzerland once tested a strain of bacteria built to clean up industrial wastewater. It had a genetic kill switch. In theory, it shouldn’t survive in open water.

But during a small pilot in an outdoor tank, some of the bacteria mutated, bypassed the kill switch, and kept growing. The experiment was shut down fast—but it was a wake up call.

Reference: Mandell et al., Nature (2015) – Biocontainment research

3. The Cost Barrier: Great Ideas, No Budget

A few years ago, I visited a small biology lab in Chattogram. A team of fresh graduates had developed a yeast based solution that could detect arsenic in rural drinking water. It worked & was cheap. It could save lives.

But they couldn’t move beyond the prototype stage.

Why?

• They couldn’t afford fermentation equipment.
• Regulatory approval was expensive and slow.
• They had no access to a biotech accelerator or venture capital.

This is the story for many brilliant minds in the Global South. Synthetic biology might look easy in a Harvard lab, but for others, it’s a mountain of red tape and funding blocks.

Reference: WHO SynBio Report, 2022 – Barriers in low resource countries

4. Human Error: Because Biology Is Messy

Let’s not kid ourselves—biology is wildly unpredictable.

You can plan everything on paper, simulate the DNA circuit, and run ten perfect lab tests. Then something random—like a change in temperature, humidity, or light—throws your organism completely off track.

Funny but Real

A team at iGEM Bangladesh built a glowing E. coli strain as a biosensor for food spoilage. It worked perfectly under lab conditions. But when they tested it in a real kitchen, it didn’t glow. Why? The bacteria were too cold in the refrigerator.

Turns out, they forgot that their engineered “glow” gene stopped expressing below 15°C.

They laughed about it later—but it shows how fragile and complex biology can be.

Reference: iGEM.org, 2022 Project Submissions

Summary Table: The Challenges at a Glance

Challenge	What It Means in Real Life	Example / Case Study
Ethical Issues	Designing life raises deep moral questions	UNESCO urging global ethical dialogue
Biosafety Risks	Lab created life might escape, evolve, or mutate in harmful ways	Kill switch failure in Swiss wastewater study
Cost Barriers	Developing nations lack resources for scaling or regulation	Chattogram lab stuck in funding limbo
Unpredictability	Biology doesn’t always do what you expect—it can misbehave	Glowing bacteria failed in real life kitchen

The Future for Synthetic Biology

If the last 20 years were about proving that synthetic biology works, the next 20 will be about changing the way we live—from what we eat to how we fight disease, and even where we live. This isn’t science fiction anymore. It’s quietly happening already.

Let’s look ahead—not with wild guesses, but grounded optimism.

1. Lab Grown Meat Could Be the New Normal

When I first heard the phrase “cultured meat” in 2016, I pictured something from Star Trek. Fast forward to 2025, and I’ve already tried lab grown chicken at a food tech demo in Dhaka. The verdict? Tasted just like chicken—because it was.

But here’s the real story:
Cultured meat is grown from real animal cells—without raising or killing animals. No antibiotics. No hormones. Just clean protein.

What this means:

• Factory farms might soon become outdated.
• We could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock (which currently contributes up to 14.5% of total global emissions — FAO, 2013).
• Animal welfare could take a massive leap forward.

Example: In 2020, Singapore became the first country to approve lab grown meat for sale. In the U.S., companies like GOOD Meat and Upside Foods have FDA approval already.

Reference: Stephens et al., Trends in Food Science & Technology, 2018

2. Crops That Tackle Climate Change

Imagine this: a rice plant that doesn’t just feed people—it pulls carbon dioxide from the air like a sponge and helps restore the soil.

That’s not a fantasy. Scientists are already engineering crops with:

• Enhanced root systems that store more carbon.
• Synthetic photosynthesis pathways that absorb CO₂ faster.
• Drought resistance, so they grow in degraded soils.

Real Project:

The Salk Institute’s “Harnessing Plants” initiative is developing deep rooted crops that store carbon underground more efficiently. These are real crops, not models—and they’re being trialed on farmland as we speak.

Reference: Salk Institute’s Harnessing Plants Initiative, 2021

3. Living Medicines You Don’t Even Need to Swallow

Forget pills. The future might look like this:
You eat a spoonful of yogurt. Inside, engineered bacteria travel through your gut, find the exact place you’re inflamed, and release medicine right there.

Sound wild? Not really. It’s already being tested for:

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
• Diabetes
• Even cancer cell detection

Real Case Study:

A biotech startup called Synlogic is engineering probiotic microbes that act like tiny drug factories. Their lead product, SYNB1618, is in human trials for a rare metabolic disorder.

It’s not just treatment—it’s targeted delivery, done by a living organism inside your body.

Reference: Synlogic Therapeutics Clinical Trials, 2022

4. Space Farming: Growing Life Beyond Earth

As NASA and SpaceX talk seriously about sending humans to Mars in the 2030s, one question keeps popping up: What will we eat?

Shipping fresh spinach to Mars isn’t exactly efficient. But growing it there? That’s where synthetic biology comes in.

What’s already happening:

• Scientists are engineering photosynthetic microbes to grow in low light, low pressure Martian environments.
• NASA is experimenting with bio mining bacteria that extract usable metals from Martian soil.
• Plants like Arabidopsis are being gene edited to tolerate space radiation.

RealLife Progress:

In 2020, the European Space Agency began a multi year project to use synthetic microbes for oxygen generation and food recycling in closed loop systems for future moon/Mars bases.

Reference: ESA MELiSSA Project & NASA Ames Research Center, 2021

Summary Table: Where Synthetic Biology Is Headed

Future Innovation	What It Means	Real Example / Status
Lab Grown Meat	Animal free meat that’s grown in bioreactors	Singapore approved sale in 2020
Climate Active Crops	Crops that pull CO₂ and survive harsh climates	Salk Institute’s carbon storing crops
Living Medicines	Probiotics that deliver drugs inside your body	Synlogic’s clinical trials for IBD
Space Farming	Plants and microbes engineered to grow on Mars or the Moon	NASA’s bio mining & space plant research

Getting Involved in Synthetic Biology

Not a Scientist? Not a Problem.

A few years ago, I thought synthetic biology was something only lab coat–wearing scientists at big universities could do. You know, the kind of people who work in high tech labs with million dollar equipment. But that idea quickly changed after I met a student from Rangpur named Tanim during an iGEM livestream. He was self taught, passionate about microbes, and working on a project to engineer bacteria that could detect arsenic in drinking water—all from a borrowed university lab bench and a second hand microscope.

So, yeah—synthetic biology isn’t as far off or exclusive as it seems. If you’re even a little curious, there are ways to get involved. Let’s break it down.

1. Learn the Basics

Getting started doesn’t require a degree in biotechnology. The internet is packed with beginner friendly resources that explain complex ideas in a simple, understandable way.

Here’s where I’d start if I were learning from scratch:

• Coursera – Courses like “How to Engineer Life” and “Synthetic Biology and Biosecurity” give you a solid foundation.
• edX – Offers real university courses for free. Look for ones from MIT or Harvard in biotechnology or genetic engineering.
• iGEM Education Hub – One of the best open source resources, especially if you want to see what real students are building.
• YouTube Channels – The Thought Emporium and Hank Green’s CrashCourse Biology helped me understand things like gene editing, even when I had zero clue what CRISPR meant.

Deep Dive Resource: Khalil & Collins (2010), “Synthetic Biology: Applications Come of Age”, Nature Reviews Genetics. Great for those who want a more technical read.

2. Join a DIY Bio Lab or Local Meetup

If you’re the kind of person who learns by doing, this is where things get exciting.

Community biology labs, also known as DIY Bio Labs, are popping up around the world. They’re like maker spaces, but for biology. You can access real lab tools, join a team project, or even run your own experiments.

Examples of Global Community Labs:

• BioCurious – Santa Clara, CA
• Genspace – Brooklyn, NY they even have a full synbio crash course
• OpenWetWare – Online wiki based resource run by MIT
• Hackteria Network – Global platform supporting bio artists and citizen scientists, including hubs in Asia

True Story: A student team in Nairobi, Kenya, used a community bio lab to create a simple biosensor that could detect crop diseases in early stages. They used open source CRISPR kits and ran the tests on local tomatoes. Their project ended up winning an award at iGEM 2021.

Reference: iGEM Nairobi Team, 2021 Results & Publications

3. Stay in the Loop

Synthetic biology is evolving fast. Some breakthroughs happen quietly—others hit the front page. If you want to stay inspired, keep tabs on companies, research teams, and student communities.

Follow These:

• Ginkgo Bioworks – They’re programming cells like apps.
• Twist Bioscience – Revolutionizing DNA printing at scale.
• Benchling – A cloud platform used by thousands of researchers.
• SynBioBeta – Like TechCrunch for biotech nerds.
• The Bio Report Podcast – Interviews with scientists, investors, and thought leaders in synthetic biology.

And honestly, don’t underestimate Reddit. Subreddits like r/SynBio and r/DIYbio are filled with curious minds sharing projects, asking questions, and even recruiting collaborators.

Quick Summary: How You Can Get Started

Step	What You’ll Gain	Where to Begin
Learn Online	Understand DNA, genes, CRISPR basics	Coursera, edX, YouTube, iGEM.org
Join a Community Lab	Hands on lab experience	BioCurious, Genspace, OpenWetWare
Follow Industry	Stay updated & inspired	SynBioBeta, Ginkgo Bioworks, Reddit & Podcasts

Synthetic Biology at a Glance

Aspect	What It Means / Why It Matters
What is it?	Designing or modifying living organisms to do new things — like build medicine or eat plastic.
How it works	Using tools like DNA editing, CRISPR, gene circuits, and synthetic DNA “parts” (like biobricks).
Real world uses	Making insulin, COVID vaccines, drought resistant crops, lab grown meat, and more.
Benefits	Cheaper medicines, cleaner energy, smarter agriculture, pollution clean up, food alternatives.
Challenges	Ethical debates, safety concerns, high cost, risk of misuse if not regulated properly.
Who can learn it?	Anyone curious—no science degree needed. Start with free online courses or join a community lab.
Future potential	Growing food on Mars, self healing clothes, DNA based computers, smart medicines that live inside you.
Is it safe?	Yes—with careful controls. Modified organisms are often designed not to survive outside labs.

Closing Thoughts

Synthetic biology is rewriting the guidelines of what’s possible. From medication to the environment, this subject is tackling humanity’s most demanding situations with creativity and technology. Sure, it has its hurdles; however, the capacity is simply too interesting to ignore.

So, the following time you pay attention to glowing flowers, plastic eating bacteria, or lab grown steaks, you’ll recognize—it’s now not magic; it’s synthetic biology. And maybe, simply maybe, it’s the destiny we’ve been looking ahead to.

References

1. Cameron, D. E., Bashor, C. J., & Collins, J. J. (2014). A brief history of synthetic biology. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 12, 381–390.
   https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro3239
2. Way, J. C., Collins, J. J., Keasling, J. D., & Silver, P. A. (2014). Integrating biological redesign: Where synthetic biology came from and where it needs to go. Cell, 157(1), 151–161.
   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2014.02.039
3. Khalil, A. S., & Collins, J. J. (2010). Synthetic biology: Applications come of age. Nature Reviews Genetics, 11, 367–379.
   https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg2775
4. Ro, D. K., Paradise, E. M., Ouellet, M., et al. (2006). Production of the antimalarial drug precursor artemisinic acid in engineered yeast. Nature, 440, 940–943.
   https://doi.org/10.1038/nature04640
5. National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) – What is Synthetic Biology?
   https://www.genome.gov
6. iGEM Foundation – International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition (Projects, Education & Safety Standards)
   https://igem.org
7. Royal Society – Synthetic Biology: Opportunities and Challenges (Policy Report)
   https://royalsociety.org

Synthetic Biology: Simple Questions, Straight Answers