Issue 7, 2014

Engineering reduced evolutionary potential for synthetic biology

Abstract

The field of synthetic biology seeks to engineer reliable and predictable behaviors in organisms from collections of standardized genetic parts. However, unlike other types of machines, genetically encoded biological systems are prone to changes in their designed sequences due to mutations in their DNA sequences after these devices are constructed and deployed. Thus, biological engineering efforts can be confounded by undesired evolution that rapidly breaks the functions of parts and systems, particularly when they are costly to the host cell to maintain. Here, we explain the fundamental properties that determine the evolvability of biological systems. Then, we use this framework to review current efforts to engineer the DNA sequences that encode synthetic biology devices and the genomes of their microbial hosts to reduce their ability to evolve and therefore increase their genetic reliability so that they maintain their intended functions over longer timescales.

Graphical abstract: Engineering reduced evolutionary potential for synthetic biology

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
22 Dec 2013
Accepted
10 Feb 2014
First published
10 Feb 2014

Mol. BioSyst., 2014,10, 1668-1678

Engineering reduced evolutionary potential for synthetic biology

B. A. Renda, M. J. Hammerling and J. E. Barrick, Mol. BioSyst., 2014, 10, 1668 DOI: 10.1039/C3MB70606K

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