Synthetic Biology

This book provides a comprehensive, up-to-date overview of the  opportunities and challenges of the complex field of synthetic biology, which combines various scientific disciplines. The emerging field of synthetic biology employs biotechnological approaches to  recreate and enhance basic biological structures, intracellular processes and  whole organisms. The book addresses a broad range of topics,  including redesigning complex metabolic pathways, DNA/RNA and protein  engineering, as well as novel synthetic biomaterials. It discusses both “bottom  up” and “top down” approaches and presents the latest genome engineering tools  with predictions about how these could change our way of thinking and working.  Since the use of synthetic biology raises a number of ethical questions, a chapter is devoted to public awareness and risk management.The book is of  interest to scientists from both academia and industry, as well as PhD students and postdocs working in the field

Xenobiotic life (artificial cells and cell like structures, biological nanostructures, XNA).- Novel DNA and RNA (synthetic promoters, riboswitches, small RNAs, ribozymes, adaptamers, DNA walker, DNA machines).- Expansion of the genetic code and protein building blocks (orthogonal mRNA-ribosome pairs, non canonical amino acids).- DNA logics and circuit design (including sensors, TALORs, genome rewiring repressilator, oscillator, metabolator, „Multicellular circuits“).- Protein engineering (directed evolution, domain engineering).- Synthetic metabolic pathways (engineered pathways, non natural pathways, scaffolding).- Reengineered chassis cells (minimal organisms, platform hosts, minimal genomes, synthetic genomes).- In silico simulation and design of complex metabolic and signalling networks.- Novel synthetic biomaterials.- Key methods for synthetic biology (assembly technologies, genome engineering technologies, DNA synthesis, Standardization).- Public awareness and risk management.

Prof. Dr. Anton Glieder ACIB GmbH Petersgasse 14 A-8010 Graz, Austria anton.glieder@acib.at Prof. Dr. Anton Glieder is Professor for Biotechnology at the Graz University of Technology and CSO at the Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB). Prof. Glieder’s research focuses on engineering of proteins and microbial protein producing strains for improved industrial and therapeutic use. Prof. Dr. Christian P. Kubicek Institute of Chemical Engineering Vienna University of Technology Gumpendorferstraße 1a A-1060 Wien, Austria ckubicek@mail.zserv.tuwien.ac.at Prof. Dr. Christian P. Kubicek retires in October 2013 from his position as full Professor for Biotechnology and Microbiology at the Vienna University of Technology. He is senior researcher at the Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB) and his work concentrates on improved carbohydrolase production by industrial filamentous fungi.