Jul 2026· Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology· Vol 14· 0 citations· 116 references
Medicine
Abstract
The rapid pace of innovation in synthetic biology and genome engineering elicits a need to reevaluate systems of oversight to ensure that biosafety and biosecurity safeguards are keeping up. Accordingly, the regulation of nucleic acid synthesis, an enabling technology for synthetic biology and genome engineering, is a current focus of political debate in the United States. However, to develop appropriate governance that neither under- nor overregulates technological development, policy leaders must also appreciate how advances in synthetic biology and genome engineering are being employed in the interests of biosecurity to support human health, manufacturing, food security, ecosystems and the natural environment. Synthetic biology can support the development of new therapeutics and health technologies, alternative biomanufacturing methodologies, food and agricultural innovations, environmental biosensors for monitoring infectious and toxic agents, and interventions aimed at preserving and restoring our natural environment. This Perspective provides an overview of current and potential benefits of synthetic biology and genome engineering, aiming to balance the broader societal discussion of potential risks—particularly in this special issue of the journal—with potential social, economic, and environmental value to individuals and society at large.
Synthetic biology has recently proven to be a valuable tool for enhancing agriculture even in the face of environmental and biological stresses. Understanding the challenges that militate synthetic biology will assist in ensuring safe, stable, and scalable crop production. Thus, we examined the challenges limiting synthetic biology applications in engineering plant-microbe partnerships and highlighted future research directions. Ecological, biological, technical, and regulatory barriers to synthetic biology-driven plant-microbe engineering are the challenges examined in this review. Profound insight into these challenges will lead to a shift toward systems-level approaches that integrate multiomics analyses, predictive modeling, and framework-responsive genetic designs. To completely translate synthetic biology from the laboratory to the field, improved delivery methods, monitoring strategies, and harmonized regulatory frameworks should be encouraged. In addition, the development of robust and controllable microbial chassis should be emphasized.
B. Enagbonma, Rebaona Reaobaka Molefe-Madlaliso, Alaba Adewole Adebayo et al.· Biotechnology and Bioenginee...· 0 citations
This review systematically summarizes progress in foundational tools and key supporting technologies of synthetic biology, highlights innovative strategies and clinical value in biosensors, cell therapy, living therapeutics, and smart biomaterials, and provides an in-depth comparison of different chassis cells, delivery vectors, and regulatory circuits in terms of disease suitability, safety, and translational efficiency.
Chen-Xuan Li, Zilong Liu, Yu-Fang Lin et al.· Molecular Biomedicine· 0 citations
Synthetic cells represent a class of engineered biological systems that span a continuum from non-replicating biochemical assemblies to genome-containing entities, exposing limitations in conventional approaches to biotechnology governance. These systems are enabled by advances in synthetic nucleic acid technologies, which provide the basis for their design, function, and programmability and expand the accessible design space of engineered biological systems. Building on a recent National Academies report, this perspective argues that continued advances in nucleic acid synthesis and design are a key driver of emerging biosafety and biosecurity challenges, particularly by challenging assumptions embedded in sequence- and organism-based approaches to oversight. We treat synthetic cells as a boundary case that highlights limitations in nucleic-acid-enabled biotechnology governance. Drawing on the report’s property-based framework, we examine how governance misalignment arises in practice through the interaction of categorical triggers, institutional boundaries, and the timing of oversight across the research and development lifecycle. We further highlight limitations in how current risk assessment approaches are applied and provide structured questions that more explicitly support the evaluation of benefits alongside risks to improve consistency in function- and context-based assessment across institutional and policy settings. Together, these observations underscore the need to align governance approaches with system properties, intended use, and deployment context as engineering biology continues to expand beyond conventional biological categories.
David R. Gillum, P. Carr, India Hook-Barnard et al.· Frontiers in Bioengineering...· 0 citations
The escalating threat of plant diseases to global agriculture and food security necessitates innovative and sustainable control strategies. Conventional biological control agents (BCAs), while environmentally friendly, often suffer environmental challenges and secretion of limited/poor antimicrobial compounds. Advances in CRISPR/Cas genome editing, protease engineering, and synthetic biology have enabled precise modifications that improve pathogen targeting and secretion efficiency. Interest should now be shifted on development of "Super Bioagents (SBs)" with enhanced secretion systems (SSs) for plant disease suppression against changing environmental factors. This will create sustainable ecofriendly alternative to chemical pesticides. This review explores a detailed overview of molecular mechanisms of microbial SSs and the potentials of SBs as a frontier in plant disease management. While there are still challenges in mass deployment of BCAs in sustainable agriculture, this review is guided by the hypothesis that rational, quantitative engineering of microbial SSs can transform conventional BCAs into integrated SBs. It synthesizes current advances within a systems‑level bioengineering framework linking secretion efficiency, regulation, and field performance. It further explores possible integration of SBs in plant-microbiome interactions to further enhance their adaptability and effectiveness. Finally, the review dives into recent breakthroughs, current challenges, and future directions for SBs development and application as next-generation plant disease control agents.
M. Asemoloye· Biotechnology and Bioenginee...· 0 citations
The engineering of microorganisms is undergoing a fundamental paradigm shift, transitioning from the construction of static cell factories to the programming of dynamically responsive living materials. However, translating molecular interventions into robust macroscopic functions requires overcoming distinct microbial-specific barriers, including delivery bottlenecks and genetic stability. In this review, we establish a unified Edit-Reprogram-Functionalize conceptual framework that systematically delineates transient genetic regulation from permanent genomic engineering. We critically examine the evolutionary trajectories of five foundational technologies: plasmid engineering, CRISPR-Cas systems, base editors, prime editors, and enzyme engineering. Rather than analyzing these toolsets in isolation, we map their convergence into an integrated engineering continuum that drives the precise synthesis of two distinct output classes: engineered living microbial materials and robust microbial metabolite-derived materials. By evaluating representative breakthroughs-from ultrasound-actuated bacterial therapeutics to ultra-tough, biosynthesized protein composites-through the strict lens of host-dependent constraints, we reveal the mechanistic principles governing successful preclinical translation. Finally, we propose an actionable roadmap centered on systemic miniaturization, closed-loop control, and multi-scale integration, providing a definitive blueprint for the next generation of precision medicine, advanced biomanufacturing, and ecological remediation.
Yangyang Du, Yunjia Shi, Dazhi Chen et al.· Small· 0 citations
This article synthesizes contemporary advancements in CRISPR-mediated mammalian genome modification, detailing core mechanisms – such as guide RNA and the Cas9 endonuclease – alongside next-generation modalities, including base and prime editing.
Olga Aldoshina, Dmitriy Lazarev, E. Smirnova· Veterinariya, Zootekhniya i...· 0 citations