Synthetic biology is an interdisciplinary branch of biology and engineering. It deals with the design and construction of new biological parts, devices, and systems, as well as the re-design of existing, natural biological systems for useful purposes.
In synthetic biology, new DNA sequences are created by using standard laboratory techniques. These sequences can be inserted into cells to create new proteins or modify the function of existing ones.
The aim of synthetic biology is to make it easier to engineer living organisms by creating a set of modular parts that can be mixed and matched to build different types of cell or organism.
One potential application of synthetic biology is the production of biofuels. Current methods for producing biofuels from plants are inefficient and expensive. However, if we could engineer microorganisms to directly convert plant cellulose into ethanol or other fuels, this would be a much more efficient way to produce biofuels.
Another potential application is in medicine. For example, we could use synthetic biology to develop new vaccines against diseases such as Ebola or Zika virus. We could also use it to develop new antibiotics against drug-resistant bacteria.
Synthetic biology has already been used to create yeast strains that can produce vanilla flavoring, artemisinin (a drug used to treat malaria), and even perfume molecules