Synthetic biology, explained

That’s because there’s always been this divide between technology — the inanimate stuff that we build — and biology — the living stuff that nature builds. It’s not that we can’t build living things; we just have to figure out how. And that’s exactly what synthetic biologists are trying to do. Check out the video above to see how.

featuring: Suzanne Jacobs
producer: Daniel Penner
asst. producer: Ana Sofia Knauf
media:
Oliver Sin – CC by 3.0
Jeffrey Beach – CC by 3.0
Damien Heads
iGEM
Image Editor – CC by 2.0
James Diggans – CC by 2.0
Prelinger Archives
Shutterstock
music: "Merluzzo" by Wistia

Help us caption & translate this video!

[josiahkeele]

Great explanation and very good looking

[ThatFreeWilliam]

Excellent video, folks!  The Lego analogy is excellent!

[susanheilman]

Fantastic video!!! Well spoken and well explained.  One small comment . . . Artemisinin is synthesized from yeast: Saccharomyces cerevisiae not E.coli.  Although, I suppose that it would be possible to use bacteria, which is what the video says.  They also may have made the artemisinin precursor in a tobacco relative.

[AMITHHILLSHOW]

synthetic biology is a great idea in this century!!

[windrazor]

My question is this, Does 'Synthetic Biology' use another basic building block different than any of the natural ones;  i.e.  The infamous C-G, T-A, that make up all known DNA and such ?!
I haven't been in school for a long while, but I was taught that all biological material uses only these four components and maybe the understanding of things has changed and they know way more than just that way back when.

[origamicrane]

Will synthetic biology be able to cure mental illnesses in people who already have them?

[aidanrogers]

i see the color but i feel black and white