SynbiCITE - an Imperial College led Innovation and Knowledge Centre (IKC) in Synthetic Biology

合成生物学是一个新的令人兴奋的研究领域，它将生物科学家和工程师聚集在一起，目的是开发新的方法来建立和改变生物系统和细胞。生物细胞可以执行由DNA编码的指令驱动的大量活动。这种DNA组成细胞基因组，作为不同类型细胞的蓝图，由四个被称为核苷酸(G、C、A和T)的互补化学构建块组成，这些核苷酸按顺序连接在一起。DNA的美丽之处在于，这些构建块专门配对(G-C和A-T)，因此DNA模板可以很容易地复制和复制。DNA中编码的指令被专门翻译成一系列称为蛋白质的大分子，这些大分子充当细胞的引擎，执行细胞生存、分裂和生长所需的所有功能，例如将糖等食物来源转化为能量。在过去的20年里，我们‘阅读’DNA的能力的进步导致了包括人类在内的各种生物的完整基因组序列。这些序列编码特定生物体的基本指令部分。在DNA化学合成方面的最新进展，导致了我们‘写’DNA的能力越来越强。因此，合成生物学旨在提供一种工程框架，允许研究人员根据特定应用设计和编写DNA，以便将这些新的合成DNA序列放置在细胞中，以执行特定的人类定义功能。目前的一个首要目标是开发合成生物学中的一系列基础技术，如组装复杂的DNA组件，详细描述指令部分，以及对更复杂的DNA设计进行计算机建模，以便这些技术可以应用于不同的应用。合成生物学的一个重要概念是开发可用于工程设计、建造和测试周期的标准DNA组件，以创建具有明确和可预测功能的新生物系统和细胞。许多研究人员、政策制定者和各国政府预计，合成生物学将在不同的工业部门为社会提供一系列好处，包括人类健康、农业和食品生产、环境保护和修复、生物能源和化学。为了加速将合成生物学技术转化为新的应用，我们建议建立英国合成生物学国家创新和知识中心，主要目标有三：(1)充当工业翻译引擎，将基于大学和行业的合成生物学研究转化为工业过程和产品(2)成为支持包括合成生物学初创企业在内的英国中小型公司的有效工具(3)积极与公众和其他利益相关者进行公开对话，重点关注合成生物学技术的风险和好处。IKC的目标是使英国成为世界领先的合成生物学技术将学术合成生物学研究转化为新的产品和过程，但在“负责任的创新”框架下，在实施或甚至推向市场之前，将考虑特定应用的公共价值和潜在风险。这种方法将在英国建立新的可持续发展的合成生物学产业，允许其他非英国公司在英国投资，并培养一支熟练的合成生物学劳动力队伍，所有这些最终都将带来新的经济增长。

Synthetic biology is a new and exciting research field that brings together biological scientists and engineers with the aim of developing new ways to build and alter biological systems and cells. Biological cells can perform a vast array of activities driven by instructions, which are encoded by DNA. This DNA makes up the cells genome, which act as a blueprint for different types of cells and is composed of four complementary chemical building blocks called nucleotides (G, C, A and T) linked together in a sequence. The beauty of DNA is that these building blocks pair up specifically (G-C and A-T) thus the DNA template can be easily copied and replicated. The instructions encoded in DNA are translated specifically into an array of large molecules called proteins which act as the engines of the cell performing all the necessary functions for cells to live divide and grow e.g. the conversion of food sources like sugar into energy. Over the last 20 years advances in our ability to 'read' DNA has resulted in the complete genome sequences of a variety of living organisms including humans. These sequences encode the basic instruction parts for that specific organism. More recent advances in the chemical synthesis of DNA, has resulted in our increasing ability to 'write' DNA. Synthetic biology therefore aims to provide an engineering framework that allows researchers to design and write DNA tailored to specific applications such that these new synthetic DNA sequences can be placed in cells to perform specific human defined functions. One overarching aim at present is to develop a series of foundational techniques in synthetic biology such as assembling complex DNA components, characterising the instruction parts in detail and computer modelling of more complex DNA designs such that these can be applied to different applications. One overarching concept for synthetic biology is the development of standard DNA components that can used in an engineering 'design, build and test' cycle to create new biological systems and cells that display defined and predictable functions.Many researchers, policy makes and national governments anticipate that synthetic biology will provide a range of benefits to society in different industrial sectors including human health; agriculture and food production; environmental protection and remediation; bioenergy and chemical. To accelerate the translation of synthetic biology technology to new applications we propose to establish a national UK Innovation and Knowledge Centre in synthetic biology with three main objectives:(1) To act as an industrial translation engine which translates university and industry based research in synthetic biology into industrial process and products(2) To be an effective vehicle for the support of small to medium sized UK companies including Start-ups in synthetic biology(3) To actively engage in open dialogue with the public and other stakeholders focusing on the risks and benefits of synthetic biology technologiesThe IKC aims to place the UK as one of the World's leaders in translating academic synthetic biology research into new products and process but under the framework of 'Responsible Innovation' where the public worth and potential risks of specific applications are considered before such applications are implemented or even reach the market. Such an approach will establish new sustainable synthetic biology industries in the UK, allow other non-UK companies to invest in the UK and develop a skilled workforce in synthetic biology all of which will ultimately lead to new economic growth.