Imagine the ability to rewire, reshape, and use parts of a living system to build something new. It is not science fiction, nor is it Frankenstein’s monster. It is synthetic biology, a relatively nascent field that is making a profound impact on society and healthcare. As the world continues to grapple with the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers are turning to synthetic biology, and in particular, to cell-free expression systems to develop new rapid diagnostic tools, vaccines, and treatments.
“It’s a way to program information. We all do that every day in our cell phones; we program information in zeros and ones. Synthetic biology takes that to a totally new dimension. Rather than just being able to control information, I now get to control information that builds atoms,” said Michael Jewett, a professor of chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern University.
Synthetic biologists such as Jewett combine engineering ...
