title: Synthetic genomics: potential and limitations.
abstract: Technologies to synthetically assemble chromosome sized fragments of DNA as well as to enable making thousands of simultaneous changes to existing genomes are now available. These capacities are collectively termed synthetic genomics. The implications of synthetic genomics extend beyond the limited pathway and gene engineering of the past to include the engineering or whole metabolisms, regulatory networks, and even ecosystems. However, in order for those potentials to be met, certain limitations and barriers must be overcome. These barriers no longer include DNA modification and assembly, but instead are based in the limited organisms that many synthetic genomics methods function in, and the limited software for designing custom genomic sequences.
authors.affiliation: J. Craig Venter Institute, 9704 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD 20850, United States.
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Montague
authors.forename: Carole
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lartigue
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vashee
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005818:Genetic Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D016678:Genome / Q000235:genetics*; D023281:Genomics / Q000379:methods*; D012984:Software; D058615:Synthetic Biology / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D004247:DNA