Introduction
Synthetic biology is a field of research that concentrates on the design, construction, and modification of new biomolecular parts and metabolic pathways using engineering techniques and computational models. By employing knowledge of operational pathways from engineering and mathematics such as circuits, oscillators, and digital logic gates, it uses these to understand, model, rewire, and reprogram biological networks and modules. Standard biological parts with known functions are catalogued in a number of registries (e.g., Massachusetts Institute of Technology Registry of Standard Biological Parts). Biological parts can then be selected from the catalogue and assembled in a variety of combinations to construct a system or pathway in a microbe. Through the innovative reengineering of biological circuits...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Alper, H., & Stephanopoulos, G. (2009). Engineering for biofuels: Exploiting innate microbial capacity or importing biosynthetic potential? Nature Reviews Microbiology, 7, 715–723.
Amyris Biotechnologies. (2013). Company website at: http://www.amyrisbiotech.com/Innovation/155/BreakthroughScience. Accessed 15 Mar 2013.
Anderson, J., Strelkowa, N., Stan, G.-B., Douglas, T., Savulescu, J., Barahona, M., & Papachristodoulou, A. (2012). Engineering and ethical perspectives in synthetic biology. European Molecular Biology Organization Reports, 13(7), 584–590.
Börjesson, P., & Mattiasson, B. (2008). Biogas as a resource-efficient vehicle fuel. Trends in Biotechnology, 26, 7–13.
Georgianna, R., & Mayfield, S. (2012). Exploiting diversity and synthetic biology for the production of algal biofuels. Nature, 488, 329–335.
Hoffman, E., Hanson, J., & Thomas, J. (2013). The principles for the oversight of synthetic biology. Declaration drafted by the Friends of the Earth U.S., International Center for Technology Assessment, ETC Group. http://libcloud.s3.amazonaws.com/93/ae/9/2287/2/Principles_for_the_oversight_of_synthetic_biology.pdf. Accessed 9 Nov 2013.
Jia, K., Zhang, Y., & Li, Y. (2010). Systematic engineering of microorganisms to improve alcohol tolerance. Engineering in Life Sciences, 10(5), 422–429.
Kendig, C. (2012). Philosophical investigations of diverse methods in synthetic biology. Presentation at the Genome Consortium for Active Teaching (GCAT) synthetic biology workshop. Ashburn: Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Farm Research Campus. http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=112727. Accessed 22 June 2012.
Kendig, C. (2013). How synthetic biology reconfigures biological understanding and ethical categories. Genome Consortium for Active Teaching (GCAT) synthetic biology workshop. Ashburn: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Farm Research Campus. http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=1127271. Accessed 28 June 2013.
Martin, V., Pitera, D., Withers, S., Newman, J., & Keasling, J. (2003). Engineering a mevalonate pathway in Escherichia coli for production of terpenoids. Nature Biotechnology, 21, 796–802.
Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues. (2010). New directions: The ethics of synthetic biology and emerging technologies. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.
Preston, C. (2008). Synthetic biology: Drawing a line in Darwin’s sand. Environmental Values, 17, 23–40.
Thompson, P. (2012). The agricultural ethics of biofuels: Climate ethics and mitigation arguments. Poiesis and Praxis, 8, 169–189.
Tyner, W., Dooley, F., & Viteri, D. (2011). Alternative pathways for fulfilling the RFS mandate. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 93, 465–472.
Wang, W., Liu, X., & Lu, X. (2013). Engineering cyanobacteria to improve photosynthetic production of alka(e)nes. Biotechnology for Biofuels, 6, 69. http://www.biotechnologyforbiofuels.com/content/6/1/69. Accessed 11 Jan 2013.
Weiss, E. (1990). Our rights and obligations to future generations for the environment. The American Journal of International Law, 84(1), 198–207.
Weiss, R. (2007, December 17). Synthetic DNA on the brink of yielding new life forms. Washington, DC: The Washington Post.
Zhang, F., Carothers, J., & Keasling, J. (2012). Design of a dynamic sensor-regulator system for production of chemicals and fuels derived from fatty acids. Nature Biotechnology, 30(4), 354–360.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature B.V.
About this entry
Cite this entry
Kendig, C. (2019). Synthetic Biology and Biofuels. In: Kaplan, D.M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Food and Agricultural Ethics. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1179-9_124
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1179-9_124
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-024-1178-2
Online ISBN: 978-94-024-1179-9
eBook Packages: Religion and PhilosophyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Humanities