System biology and synthetic biology

Abstract

Abstract System biology and synthetic biology are nascent fields that have emerged out of an interdisciplinary approach to studying biological sciences. System biology is a holistic approach to studying complex interactions at a “system” level that can be at any organizational level, such as cell, organ, or a whole organism. Synthetic biology is an engineering-based approach that manipulates or aims to design such systems based on requirements. The former is a knowledge-driven approach, and the later is an application-driven approach. The two fields are interdependent that fuel each other and derive from an integration of biology with mathematics, computer science, engineering, chemistry, and physics. Advances in these sister disciplines have led to rapid advancements in the food and agriculture industry, healthcare, biofuels, chemical industry, biosensors, etc. It would not be a hyperbole to state that these disciplines are the driving forces of translational biotechnology and have the potential to revolutionize healthcare among other sectors. In this review, we discuss various proponents of system and synthetic biology, elaborating on the applications. We will discuss various challenges encountered and give a brief account of the future applications in translational biotechnology.