What is Synthetic Genomics?
Q: What is Synthetic Genomics?
A: Synthetic genomics is a type of genetic engineering that creates genes which do not occur in nature. It does not use naturally occurring genes, but instead may use custom-designed base pair series.
Q: How does Synthetic Genomics work?
A: Synthetic genomics uses techniques from genetics research to create long base pair chains cheaply and accurately on a large scale. This allows researchers to experiment with genomes which do not exist in nature. Ideas from protein folding and high-end computing facilities are also used.
Q: Who is leading the research in this field?
A: The J. Craig Venter Institute's team of about 20 researchers is led by Nobel laureate Hamilton Smith, DNA researcher Craig Venter, and microbiologist Clyde A. Hutchison III.
Q: What has the Venter group achieved so far?
A: The Venter group has put together a semi-synthetic Mycoplasma genitalium bacterial genome by recombination of 25 overlapping fragments in a single step using yeast recombination technology. Additionally, geneticists have made the first synthetic chromosome for yeast by replacing the genes in the original chromosome with synthetic versions and integrating it into a yeast cell successfully.
Q: Are there any commercial applications for custom designed genomes?
A: Yes, companies such as Synthetic Genomics have been formed to take advantage of the many commercial uses of custom designed genomes.
Q: What kind of experiments can be done with synthetic genomics?
A: Experiments can be done on genomes which do not exist in nature using synthetic genomics techniques such as creating long base pair chains cheaply and accurately on a large scale or recombining 25 overlapping fragments into one single step using yeast recombination technology.
