SynBICite - Innovation and Knowledge Centre in Synthetic Biology - 24 month review

合成生物学是一个新的和令人兴奋的研究领域，汇集了生物科学家和工程师，旨在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构成了细胞基因组，基因组作为不同类型细胞的蓝图，由四种互补的化学构建模块组成，称为核苷酸（G，C，A和T），它们以序列连接在一起。DNA的美妙之处在于，这些构建模块可以特异性地配对（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，蛋白质充当细胞的引擎，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的能力的进步已经导致了包括人类在内的各种生物体的完整基因组序列。这些序列为特定生物体的基本指令部分编码。DNA化学合成的最新进展，导致我们越来越有能力“写”DNA。因此，合成生物学旨在提供一个工程框架，允许研究人员设计和编写针对特定应用的DNA，以便这些新的合成DNA序列可以放置在细胞中执行特定的人类定义的功能。目前的一个首要目标是开发一系列合成生物学的基础技术，例如组装复杂的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。合成生物学的一个总体概念是开发标准DNA组件，这些组件可用于工程“设计，构建和测试”周期，以创建显示定义和可预测功能的新生物系统和细胞。许多研究人员，政策制定者和国家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，环境保护和补救;生物能源和化学。为了加速合成生物学技术向新应用的转化，我们建议建立一个国家合成生物学创新和知识中心，其主要目标有三个：（1）作为工业翻译引擎，将合成生物学的大学和工业研究转化为工业过程和产品（2）成为支持英国中小公司（包括合成生物学初创公司）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益处。SYNBICITE的目标是使英国成为将学术合成生物学研究转化为新产品和新工艺的世界领导者之一，但在“负责任的创新”框架下，在实施这些应用之前，甚至在进入市场之前，都要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合成生物学产业，允许其他非英国公司在英国投资，并培养合成生物学方面的熟练劳动力，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 Startups 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 technologies.The SYNBICITE 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.