Review Paper on Synthetic Biology

Here is the preprint version of my review paper on the field of Synthetic Biology…

Abstract: Synthetic Biology will bring a new paradigm in science as it attempts to approach biology through standard engineering principles such as decoupling of problems, standardization of components and abstraction of information. It has enabled scientists to create life from the scratch, hence helping unlock the mysteries of biology. The viability of living organisms which use unnatural molecules is also being explored. Unconventional projects such as DNA playing tic-tac-toe, bacterial photographic film, etc. are taking biology to its extremes. On a serious note, the field holds a promise of mass production of cheap anti-malarial drug along with the possibility of programming E. coli to seek-and-destroy tumors in the body. However, the inherent property of self-replication and the complexity of biological systems make the field a challenging one. In addition to this, there are other major technical and ethical challenges which need to be addressed before the field realizes its true potential.

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