seismic shifts caused by the convergence of biotechnology, metabolic engineering,
bioinformatics and synthetic biology have proved to be the key players in the front
position to sustainably transform agriculture and food industries (Ort et al. 2015;
Moses et al. 2017). Synthetic Biology (SynBio), one of the fastest-growing nextgeneration innovation, is defined as: ‘The engineering of biology: the synthesis of
complex, biologically based (or inspired) systems, which display functions that do
not exist in nature’ (Serrano 2007). SynBio, the growing ‘green chemical’ trade, is
expected to be a main recipient of the growing global bio-economy where according
to the BCC Research report, SynBio’s economic potential is expected to reach 22%
of the trillion-dollar global chemical market by 2025 (Paul and Steinbrecher 2010).
SynBio propelled into eminence when the costs of DNA synthesis and sequencing
significantly dropped down and key-enabling skills like versatile genome engineering tools, standardization of DNA assembly protocols, and novel sensor-reporter
coordination got recognition (Flores Bueso and Tangney 2017). It entails teamwork
of molecular biologists, software developers, engineers and mathematical modellers
to assemble artificial building blocks for novel objectives in existing living beings or
to create fully functioning de novo biological systems (Gould 2020). SynBio
groundwork is deep rooted in system biology (quantitative understanding of existing
biological systems) which provides defined parts (amino acids, bases, proteins,
genes, circuits, cells, etc.) that can be fabricated (united and substituted) by
harmonized workflows and usually in sync with modelling and computational
tools to build artificial genetic code circuits that will initiate or modify existing
biological functions (Di Ventura et al. 2006; Serrano 2007; Sticklen 2015; Moses
et al. 2017). From an engineer’s prospective, SynBio is a reductionist outlook of
biology, where a cell is a circuit of inputs, processes and outputs, for example, a leaf
cell can be scaled down to the light input with the output of carbohydrates. Two chief
approaches used in SynBio are:
a. Top-down approach which redesign existing individual genes/molecules/
enzymes/tissues/complete cells/organisms. For example, comparatively more
resistant crops can be developed which can withstand changing climates and
biosensors can be designed to facilitate crops with intelligence to sense and
respond to their environment.
b. Bottom-up approach chases to redesign the entire programme so as to surmount
tricky blockades that cannot be tackled by making changes in already active
systems. Basically, a chassis cell, i.e. a cell with minimal complexity has to be
designed for one or a number of biotechnological functions and can be
customized and regulated with accuracy in a prognostic mode. It generates
novel biochemical systems and organisms, e.g. a global group is synthetically
designing a yeast genome to understand its fundamental properties and
components (Paul and Steinbrecher 2010; Way et al. 2014).
Recognition of the indispensable elements for cellular functioning can trim down
the metabolic load of secondary genetic circuits, thereby passing on the carbon to
pathways bringing the best outcomes for a particular organism (Tessa Moses et al.
15 Plant Synthetic Biology: A Paradigm Shift Targeting Stress Mitigation,. . .
437
bioinformatics and synthetic biology have proved to be the key players in the front
position to sustainably transform agriculture and food industries (Ort et al. 2015;
Moses et al. 2017). Synthetic Biology (SynBio), one of the fastest-growing nextgeneration innovation, is defined as: ‘The engineering of biology: the synthesis of
complex, biologically based (or inspired) systems, which display functions that do
not exist in nature’ (Serrano 2007). SynBio, the growing ‘green chemical’ trade, is
expected to be a main recipient of the growing global bio-economy where according
to the BCC Research report, SynBio’s economic potential is expected to reach 22%
of the trillion-dollar global chemical market by 2025 (Paul and Steinbrecher 2010).
SynBio propelled into eminence when the costs of DNA synthesis and sequencing
significantly dropped down and key-enabling skills like versatile genome engineering tools, standardization of DNA assembly protocols, and novel sensor-reporter
coordination got recognition (Flores Bueso and Tangney 2017). It entails teamwork
of molecular biologists, software developers, engineers and mathematical modellers
to assemble artificial building blocks for novel objectives in existing living beings or
to create fully functioning de novo biological systems (Gould 2020). SynBio
groundwork is deep rooted in system biology (quantitative understanding of existing
biological systems) which provides defined parts (amino acids, bases, proteins,
genes, circuits, cells, etc.) that can be fabricated (united and substituted) by
harmonized workflows and usually in sync with modelling and computational
tools to build artificial genetic code circuits that will initiate or modify existing
biological functions (Di Ventura et al. 2006; Serrano 2007; Sticklen 2015; Moses
et al. 2017). From an engineer’s prospective, SynBio is a reductionist outlook of
biology, where a cell is a circuit of inputs, processes and outputs, for example, a leaf
cell can be scaled down to the light input with the output of carbohydrates. Two chief
approaches used in SynBio are:
a. Top-down approach which redesign existing individual genes/molecules/
enzymes/tissues/complete cells/organisms. For example, comparatively more
resistant crops can be developed which can withstand changing climates and
biosensors can be designed to facilitate crops with intelligence to sense and
respond to their environment.
b. Bottom-up approach chases to redesign the entire programme so as to surmount
tricky blockades that cannot be tackled by making changes in already active
systems. Basically, a chassis cell, i.e. a cell with minimal complexity has to be
designed for one or a number of biotechnological functions and can be
customized and regulated with accuracy in a prognostic mode. It generates
novel biochemical systems and organisms, e.g. a global group is synthetically
designing a yeast genome to understand its fundamental properties and
components (Paul and Steinbrecher 2010; Way et al. 2014).
Recognition of the indispensable elements for cellular functioning can trim down
the metabolic load of secondary genetic circuits, thereby passing on the carbon to
pathways bringing the best outcomes for a particular organism (Tessa Moses et al.
15 Plant Synthetic Biology: A Paradigm Shift Targeting Stress Mitigation,. . .
437