2022/07/01 by Ibrahim Aldulijan, Aldulijan, Ibrahim, Jacob Beal +23 · 1 citation
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Decision Sciences · Engineering · #FOS: Biological sciences #Gene Regulatory Network Analysis #Modular Robots and Swarm Intelligence #Quantitative Methods (q-bio.QM) #Scientific Computing and Data Management
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2207.00538
openalex publication_date 2022/07/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Synthetic biologists have made great progress over the past decade in developing methods for modular assembly of genetic sequences and in engineering biological systems with a wide variety of functions in various contexts and organisms. However, current paradigms in the field entangle sequence and functionality in a manner that makes abstraction difficult, reduces engineering flexibility, and impairs predictability and design reuse. Functional Synthetic Biology aims to overcome these impediments by focusing the design of biological systems on function, rather than on sequence. This reorientation will decouple the engineering of biological devices from the specifics of how those devices are put to use, requiring both conceptual and organizational change, as well as supporting software tooling. Realizing this vision of Functional Synthetic Biology will allow more flexibility in how devices are used, more opportunity for reuse of devices and data, improvements in predictability, and reductions in technical risk and cost.