ADVANCES IN SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.04.007

 

Advances in metabolic engineering have made it easier for pathway transfers to occur from parent cells to host cells. What this has essentially allowed us to do is to port nutrients from different foods to make a certain product more nutritious, by either increasing the nutrient profile or the amount of a particular nutrient in a food.

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Alternatively, it also allows for vegan foods and substitutes to become more realistic. Certain factors that add color, texture, or taste to a meat-based dish can be isolated and replicated in specific plant-based foods as well. This is not limited to vegan foods, dietary restrictions can also be accommodated within the realm of synthetic biology and hopefully shall soon become a regular practice.

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Treatments for diseases previously thought incurable, such as leukemia are also being experimented on under its scope. Kymriah uses genetically engineered CAR-T cells manufactured from the patient's cells to produce a chimeric antigen receptor and transplants them back into the patient's body. Success rates in trials have been very high, reaching about 83% so far.

 

Research is being undertaken to expand into solid tumors, HIV AIDS, and MS treatment. There are also attempts at building genetic circuits to overcome any obstacle from CAR-T transplants. These use sensors to detect concentrations of molecules and adjust themselves accordingly to prevent excess or a deficit of CAR.

 

In the future, metabolic engineering may make it entirely possible to have various food alternatives which may be allergy, lactose, or gluten-free, without having to compromise on the taste or texture of the foods.

 

There may be methods of extracting and reusing carbon from discarded plastic that may have otherwise taken years to degrade. Cells may be able to work in systems with their products transplanted directly into the human body, such as seen with the Hyaline sheets. Although most experimental, synthetic biology has a vast and varying scope, both within biology and beyond.