Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Biology by design: reduction and synthesis of cellular components and behaviour.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Marguet, P; Balagadde, F; Tan, C; You, L
Published in: Journal of the Royal Society, Interface
August 2007

Biological research is experiencing an increasing focus on the application of knowledge rather than on its generation. Thanks to the increased understanding of cellular systems and technological advances, biologists are more frequently asking not only 'how can I understand the structure and behaviour of this biological system?', but also 'how can I apply that knowledge to generate novel functions in different biological systems or in other contexts?' Active pursuit of the latter has nurtured the emergence of synthetic biology. Here, we discuss the motivation behind, and foundational technologies enabling, the development of this nascent field. We examine some early successes and applications while highlighting the challenges involved. Finally, we consider future directions and mention non-scientific considerations that can influence the field's growth.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface

DOI

EISSN

1742-5662

ISSN

1742-5689

Publication Date

August 2007

Volume

4

Issue

15

Start / End Page

607 / 623

Related Subject Headings

  • Models, Biological
  • Genetic Engineering
  • General Science & Technology
  • Computational Biology
  • Biotechnology
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Marguet, P., Balagadde, F., Tan, C., & You, L. (2007). Biology by design: reduction and synthesis of cellular components and behaviour. Journal of the Royal Society, Interface, 4(15), 607–623. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2006.0206
Marguet, Philippe, Frederick Balagadde, Cheemeng Tan, and Lingchong You. “Biology by design: reduction and synthesis of cellular components and behaviour.Journal of the Royal Society, Interface 4, no. 15 (August 2007): 607–23. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2006.0206.
Marguet P, Balagadde F, Tan C, You L. Biology by design: reduction and synthesis of cellular components and behaviour. Journal of the Royal Society, Interface. 2007 Aug;4(15):607–23.
Marguet, Philippe, et al. “Biology by design: reduction and synthesis of cellular components and behaviour.Journal of the Royal Society, Interface, vol. 4, no. 15, Aug. 2007, pp. 607–23. Epmc, doi:10.1098/rsif.2006.0206.
Marguet P, Balagadde F, Tan C, You L. Biology by design: reduction and synthesis of cellular components and behaviour. Journal of the Royal Society, Interface. 2007 Aug;4(15):607–623.
Journal cover image

Published In

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface

DOI

EISSN

1742-5662

ISSN

1742-5689

Publication Date

August 2007

Volume

4

Issue

15

Start / End Page

607 / 623

Related Subject Headings

  • Models, Biological
  • Genetic Engineering
  • General Science & Technology
  • Computational Biology
  • Biotechnology