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An Introduction to Synthetic Biology

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Synthetic Biology

Abstract

Synthetic biology is a newly emerged discipline that came into light several years ago. It is an interdisciplinary field bringing together the expertise from science, engineering, and computing to create artificial parts or systems in the biological world. This chapter provides a concise overview of the background and developments in synthetic biology with focus on some of the latest research findings. It is believed that synthetic biology can open new doors for solutions to many existing daily life problems. However, there are still many challenges to be overcome due to the complex nature of biological systems. The discoveries and knowledge that will be gained from the ongoing studies in synthetic biology will enrich our understanding towards how life has been designed by nature and to what extent it can be altered or improved by artificial interference.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Systems and Synthetic Biology Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Inhoffenstraße 7, D-38124, Braunschweig, Germany

    Carolyn M.C. Lam, Miguel Godinho & Vítor A.P. Martins dos Santos

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  1. Carolyn M.C. Lam
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  2. Miguel Godinho
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  3. Vítor A.P. Martins dos Santos
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Correspondence to Vítor A.P. Martins dos Santos .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. und Konfliktmanagement (IDC), Organisation für Internationalen Dialog, Abt-Karl Gasse 19/21, Wien, 1180, Austria

    Markus Schmidt

  2. Dept. European Studies &, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA27AY, United Kingdom

    Alexander Kelle

  3. Inst. Biomedizinische Ethik, Universität Zürich, Zollikerstr. 115, Zürich, 8008, Switzerland

    Agomoni Ganguli-Mitra

  4. De Vriesstraat 13, Delft, 2613 CA, Netherlands

    Huib Vriend

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Lam, C.M., Godinho, M., dos Santos, V.A.M. (2009). An Introduction to Synthetic Biology. In: Schmidt, M., Kelle, A., Ganguli-Mitra, A., Vriend, H. (eds) Synthetic Biology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2678-1_3

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