Human Practices

Refer to this page: https://2015.igem.org/Practices_Hub We need to frame our Human Practices as "We decided to look at how our project would impact ... [some area(s) here]"

Synthetic biology has numerous applications in fields such as energy and medicine (Ferry 2012). However, in order for a genetically enhanced organism to perform its desired function reliably, the relevant genes must persist through multiple generations. As we demonstrated in our project, this issue is not trivial. If we can identify DNA sequences that are prone to genetic instability, we can develop ways to avoid these unstable sequences, improving device stability. By improving the stability of devices we can help biotechnology companies operate more safely (who would want a genetically engineered organism producing their food or medicine if that genetic engineering might break and cease working or break and produce a dangerous by-product) and help them produce their products more cheaply. This issue of stability in devices on its own will help move the synthetic biology field forward [[[How does genetic stability move the field forward??? Reliability/Reproducibility?? Think Krithika and Natalie's plates from the spring]]] , which will in turn help society as a whole. Because synthetic biology has applications in key industries such as energy and medicine, solving the issue of stability would be a crucial contribution to the field of synthetic biology. However, it could also have significant implications for the economy, the quality of patient care, and society as a whole.

Our project was designed to test and improve the genetic stability of genetically engineered fluorescence proteins as a model for other systems such as therapeutic proteins and metabolic pathways. We believe that our work will impact the medical industry by creating DNA sequences that have the ability to maintain gene expression in probiotic bacteria without experiencing significant rates of failure mutations that make these organisms perform less predictably. The field of medicine is not the only industry that needs stable genes. [[[Can we talk about this more?? Can we think of any examples of what we would want a probiotic bacteria to do and thus why we would need it to be more genetically stable?? How frequently would you need to take the bacteria, etc...]]]

For instance, the continued depletion of nonrenewable energy sources has created a demand for novel energy sources. While synthetic biology offers one possible solution, its viability is hindered as a result of genetic instability. Since the evolutionary process continues even after an organism is genetically engineered to produce biofuel precursors, the genetic device is at risk. Producing the necessary molecules requires energy and carbon from the cells, which can diminish a cell’s fitness, breaking the genetic circuit. However, the development of a more stable genetic device could lead to a robust method of biofuel production and help alleviate the fuel crisis.

By creating and using these genetically stable circuits, many companies can save time and money when developing synthetic products. For example, Amyris, a company specializing in synthetic biology products, spent $33,202,000 in 2014 to make their biosynthetic models (Amyris 2014). Companies such as this invest millions on genetic devises to make their products, therefore if these genetic devices are unstable then the company will lose a lot of money. Along with big companies, research labs working in this field would benefit in the same way if their devices lasted longer. Making synthetic biology more cost effective and efficient makes the expansion of using synthetic biology to help society greater.

The advancements in this project can be taken to a global level, where the production of many biosynthetic devices/products can be improved dramatically, efficiently, and cost effectively. Using small biological systems to create useful products is not only fast but is also less expensive when compared to conventional manufacturing. When it comes to fixing Third World problems in a cost effective and timely manner, synthetic biology could be the answer. However, synthetic biology can only be helpful if the devices we make can perform for a long period of time. The issue of stability needs to be addressed and solved for the betterment of society and the future of science.

References

• Ferry, M.S., Hasty, J., Cookson, N.A. (2012) Synthetic biology approaches to biofuel production. Biofuels 3: 9-12.
• Amyris. 2014 Annual Report, December 31st, 2014. Web. September 10th, 2015.