--- title: Biotechnology & Synthetic Biology description: This field covers the manipulation of biological systems and organisms to develop products and technologies. Learners will understand genetic engineering techniques, metabolic pathway design, and how to apply synthetic biology principles to medicine, agriculture, and environmental remediation. category: sciences subcategory: biology difficulty: beginner, intermediate, advanced url: /subject/biotechnology-and-synthetic-biology --- # Biotechnology & Synthetic Biology This field covers the manipulation of biological systems and organisms to develop products and technologies. Learners will understand genetic engineering techniques, metabolic pathway design, and how to apply synthetic biology principles to medicine, agriculture, and environmental remediation. ## Available Resources 2 Books • 2 Courses • 4 Websites ## Courses ### 1. Industrial Biotechnology Fossil fuels have been the primary energy source for society since the Industrial Revolution. They provide the raw material for the manufacture of many everyday products that we take for granted, including pharmaceuticals, food and drink, materials, plastics and personal care. As the 21st century progresses we need solutions for the manufacture of chemicals that are smarter, more predictable and more sustainable. Industrial biotechnology is changing how we manufacture chemicals and materials, as well as providing us with a source of renewable energy. It is at the core of sustainable manufacturing processes and an attractive alternative to traditional manufacturing technologies to commercially advance and transform priority industrial sectors yielding more and more viable solutions for our environment in the form of new chemicals, new materials and bioenergy. This course will cover the key enabling technologies that underpin biotechnology research including enzyme discovery and engineering, systems and synthetic biology and biochemical and process engineering. Much of this material will be delivered through lectures to ensure that you have a solid foundation in these key areas. We will also consider the wider issues involved in sustainable manufacturing including responsible research innovation and bioethics. In the second part of the course we will look at how these technologies translate into real world applications which benefit society and impact our everyday lives. This will include input from our industry stakeholders and collaborators working in the pharmaceutical, chemicals and biofuels industries. By the end of this course you will be able to: 1. Understand enzymatic function and catalysis. 2. Explain the technologies and methodologies underpinning systems and synthetic biology. 3. Explain the diversity of synthetic biology application and discuss the different ethical and regulatory/governance challenges involved in this research. 4. Understand the principles and role of bioprocessing and biochemical engineering in industrial biotechnology. 5. Have an informed discussion of the key enabling technologies underpinning research in industrial biotechnology 6. Give examples of industrial biotechnology products and processes and their application in healthcare, agriculture, fine chemicals, energy and the environment. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.coursera.org/learn/industrial-biotech **Tags:** industrial-biotechnology, synthetic-biology, enzyme-engineering, bioprocessing, sustainable-manufacturing ### 2. Algae Biotechnology **Author:** Stephen Mayfield, Ira Levine UC San Diego course on engineering algae for commercial products, covering genetic and metabolic engineering in microalgae and diatoms, cultivation at production scale, regulatory pathways, and case studies from companies making omega-3 oils and algae-derived materials. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.coursera.org/learn/algae-biotechnology **Tags:** algae, microalgae, metabolic-engineering, bioproducts, industrial-biotechnology ## Websites ### 1. synbiobeta.com SynBioBeta is a media and events platform for the synthetic biology community, offering news and analysis, startup profiles, and information on conferences, funding, and industry resources. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://synbiobeta.com **Tags:** websites, engineering-manufacturing, biotechnology ### 2. syntheticbiology.org Syntheticbiology.org is a central resource hub for learning about synthetic biology, offering introductory explanations, educational materials, and news and policy updates about the field. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://syntheticbiology.org **Tags:** websites, engineering-manufacturing, biotechnology ### 3. igem.org iGEM.org is the official site for the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition in synthetic biology. It provides project showcases, the Registry of Standard Biological Parts, tutorials and educational resources, team information, and event details like the annual Jamboree. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://igem.org **Tags:** websites, science-research, biology ### 4. addgene.org/crispr Addgene is a nonprofit plasmid repository, and its CRISPR page provides access to CRISPR-related plasmids, protocols, tutorials, and other educational resources to help researchers learn about and implement CRISPR gene editing. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://addgene.org/crispr **Tags:** websites, science-research, biology ## Books ### 1. Regenesis **Author:** George M. Church, Ed Regis Church, a Harvard geneticist, and science writer Regis trace genome engineering from early life to synthesized organisms, covering mirror-image biology, virus-resistant cells and de-extinction. Readers finish understanding what large-scale genome writing makes possible and where it raises risk. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0465021751?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, science-research, biology ### 2. Biotechnology **Author:** David P. Clark, Nanette J. Pazdernik Undergraduate textbook building from molecular basics to applied biotechnology, with chapters on recombinant DNA, genomics, protein engineering, transgenic plants and animals, forensics and bioethics. Readers finish able to follow how genetic techniques become commercial and medical applications. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0121755525?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, science-research, biology --- *This content is part of Dantes.io - Your Treasure Map to Knowledge* *Curated by humans at Dantes.io. Personal study use welcome; republishing this curation requires permission (team@dantes.io).* View this page online: https://dantes.io/subject/biotechnology-and-synthetic-biology