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Synthetic Biology: A Novel Approach for Pharmaceutically Important Compounds

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Book cover Recent Advancement in White Biotechnology Through Fungi

Part of the book series: Fungal Biology ((FUNGBIO))

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Abstract

Synthetic biology is the new emerging discipline of science which combines principles of engineering with biology to redesign a living system to produce something it would not naturally produce. The living cells will alter through recombinant DNA technology to meet specific purposes. Since, fungi are themselves established cell factories in pharmaceutical industry. The versatile chemical entities secreted by these organisms have tremendous benefits. The need of the hour is to club synthetic biology and mycology to enhance gains. The great success of synthetic biology in the field of bio-production with the success story of artemisinin will likely influence the early stages of drug discovery. Next future interests are likely in the rational design of new biochemicals through genetic shuffling of biosynthetic modules in order to be compliant with large-scale production within microorganisms. However, it is also possible to anticipate technical constraints (current efficiency) as the majority of work performed in synthetic biology is in basic science rather than applied science to understand fundamental processes. Majority of projects were centered on developing new experimental and computational tools, using synthetic biology to understand how organism work or to generate minimal cells that can be counted as time constraint as it is also evident in case of semi-artiseminin where it took 10 long years. New molecular compounds as well as hosts were formed and manipulated for human benefit. Engineered systems are rapidly becoming a reality which is based on advances in our ability to edit genome and identify and optimize biosynthetic building blocks. This can help in creating a library of new pathways and novel compounds. But at the same time, ethical issues centered about the complete engineering of a new living organism or redesigning of existing species caught negative attention. It may or may not create problem but danger of evolving a new virulent strains always crossed in mind. Anyways, bolder initiatives are needed in funding for using this technology as it will be benefitted by the advancement of computational and engineering technology which in the future will move many more examples.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Department of Molecular Biology, Biotechnology & Bioinformatics, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar; and Department of Genetics & Plant Breeding, GB Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar for providing the facilities and financial support, to undertake the investigations. There are no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Genetics & Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India

    Rashmi

  2. Department of Molecular Biology, Biotechnology & Bioinformatics, College of Basic Sciences & Humanities, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, India

    Upendra Kumar

  3. Department of Agriculture Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, SVBP University of Agriculture & Technology, Meerut, U.P, India

    Poonam Maan

  4. Department of Botany, Government Girls Degree College, Meerut, U.P, India

    Priyanka

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  2. Upendra Kumar
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  4. Priyanka
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology, Akal College of Agriculture, Eternal University, Baru Sahib, Sirmour, Himachal Pradesh, India

    Ajar Nath Yadav

  2. Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University, Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Sangram Singh

  3. Biotechnology, Biotech Park, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Shashank Mishra

  4. Department of Zoology, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University, Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Arti Gupta

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Rashmi, Kumar, U., Maan, P., Priyanka (2019). Synthetic Biology: A Novel Approach for Pharmaceutically Important Compounds. In: Yadav, A., Singh, S., Mishra, S., Gupta, A. (eds) Recent Advancement in White Biotechnology Through Fungi. Fungal Biology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14846-1_16

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