Box 1: Defining the Synthetic Yeast Research Landscape
Synthetic Biology: The design and construction of new
biological parts (genes), devices (gene networks) and modules
(biosynthetic pathways), and the redesign of biological systems (cells
and organisms) to achieve human objectives.
Biophysical Engineering: Synthetic Biology tools, techniques
and methodologies that adapt engineering and design thinking to
biological substrates in order to control and actuate the physical
characteristics associated with that substrate. For example, chemical
synthesis, feedstock refactoring and biomass optimisation.
Bioinformational Engineering: Synthetic Biology tools,
techniques and methodologies that adapt engineering and design thinking
to biological substrates in order to control and actuate the
informational characteristics associated with that substrate. For
example, optogenetics, biosensors and bioelectrochemistry.
Synthetic Yeast Genome: The use of Synthetic Biology to design
and build a fully functional genome.
Synthetic Model System: An in silico model of a
biological system that enables the rapid prototyping of engineering
designs via a Computer Assisted Design tool. It may enable the user to
work at different abstractions of a biological system. For example,
genes, gene networks, biosynthetic pathways, or biological systems.
Synthetic Cell: An internationally collaborative research
program that seeks to remove current biological unknowns and achieve an
end state where biological functionality can be entirely designed via
Computer Assisted Design and Synthetic Model System solutions.
Synthetic Minimal Genome: A design methodology that removes
unnecessary genetic elements from natural or model organisms to optimise
productive capacity for a target growth environment.
Synthetic Metagenome: A synthetic genome that encodes
multi-species genetic information from a point-of-interest. For example,
a synthetic yeast that contains the code for all naturally occurring
yeast species at a given vineyard.
Supernumerary Neochromosome: An additional chromosome appended
to a synthetic chromosome that contains pan-genomic information for
optimising functionality towards a specific objective.
Synthetic Yeast Community: The design and construction of an
engineered consortia involving defined or synthetic biological elements.
This may be semi-synthetic (an engineered strain interacting with a
natural biotic counterpart) or fully-synthetic (two or more engineered
counterparts).
Synthetic Specialist Yeast: A synthetic yeast optimised for
productive functionality in a target environment.
Pan-Genome: An assembled array of multiple genomic elements
normally associated with an industrial or environmental site, for
appending to a natural, synthetic or semi-synthetic organism’s genome,
to improve functionality and productivity of the engineered organism in
the target environment.
New-to-Nature: A biological substrate of any level of
biological abstraction that cannot be found to have occurred through the
natural process of evolution on Earth.