从DNA合成技术角度阐述合成生物学

合成生物学是一个拥有巨大潜力的新兴学科,合成生物学技术的发展将会对未来生物、医药、农业、能源、材料和环保等方面产生巨大的推进作用。基因合成是合成生物学中最基本和使用最多的一种技术手段,合成生物学的快速发展对基因合成能力提出了空前需求。综述基因合成技术的发展历史、现状和未来趋势,探讨基因合成技术存合成生物学以及整个生命科学研究中的应用和重要意义。     

蛋白质预算：合成生物学的成本标尺

合成生物学以创建人工生命体系为目的.实践中人们希望人工生命体系具有更强的生产能力、转化能力、环境适应与监测能力,从而获得更优质的生产方式.生命体系的优化涉及到多层次的调控网络,而根本上还是对细胞中蛋白质的含量、定位、活性的控制.在蛋白质表达水平上进行控制是合成生物学元件设计、模块组装以及适配性研究最核心的手段.类似于工厂中的成本计算,合成生物学创建的人工生命体系(人工细胞工厂)以蛋白质预算为依据.优化蛋白质预算的研究策略已经成功应用于合成生物学研究实践中.     

A day of systems and synthetic biology for non‐experts

From understanding ageing to the creation of artificial membrane‐bounded ‘organisms’, systems biology and synthetic biology are seen as the latest revolutions in the life sciences. They certainly represent a major change of gear, but paradigm shifts? This is open to debate, to say the least. For scientists they open up exciting ways of studying living systems, of formulating the ‘laws of life’, and the relationship between the origin of life, evolution and artificial biological systems. However, the ethical and societal considerations are probably indistinguishable from those of human genetics and genetically modified organisms. There are some tangible developments just around the corner for society, and as ever, our ability to understand the consequences of, and manage, our own progress lags far behind our technological abilities. Furthermore our educational systems are doing a bad job of preparing the next generation of scientists and non‐scientists.     

基于前沿热点案例的合成生物学教学模式的探索与实践北大核心CSCD

作为一门理论性与应用性都很强的课程,“合成生物学”对生物工程领域创新性人才培养发挥着至关重要的作用。为此,华中农业大学开设了“合成生物学”课程。首先,以“重基础知识、抓创新实践、追前沿进展”为理念,通过组建高水平的“合成生物学”教学团队,并不断调整优化课程内容,形成了新颖合理的课程体系。其次,在教学过程中,及时将高水平学术期刊及时事热点新闻报道中有关合成生物学的案例引入课堂教学中,丰富了教学内容,提高了学生的学习兴趣。再次,以前沿热点案例为切入点,通过以“学”为中心的授课模式,引导学生深入探讨,提高了学生的思辨思维与创新能力。本课程取得了很好的教学效果,并有效促进了创新型人才培养,在此与同行交流,以期能为“合成生物学”及相关课程的教学改革提供一些新的启发与思考。     

合成生物学伦理、法律与社会问题探讨

合成生物学是以基因组学、系统生物学知识和分子生物学技术为基础,综合了科学与工程的一门新兴交叉学科。它使生命科学和生物技术研发进入了以人工设计、合成自然界中原本不曾出现的人造生命体系,以及对这些人工体系进行体内、体外优化,或利用这些人造生命体系研究自然生命规律为目标的新时代。然而,合成生物学研究在迅速发展、表现出巨大潜力和应用前景的同时,也引发了社会各界对相关社会、伦理、安全,以及知识产权等问题的重视与讨论。就世界各国针对合成生命对传统意义上生命概念的挑战、合成生物学产品存在的潜在风险危害、合成生物学研究的风险评估与监管等问题进行回顾综述和相关探讨。     

合成生物学技术的研究进展——DNA合成、组装与基因组编辑

合成生物学作为一门新兴学科,其目标主要有两点:一是利用非天然的分子使其出现生命的现象,也就是―人造生命‖;二是―改造生命‖,比如利用一种生命体的元件(或经过人工改造),组装到另一个生命体中,使其产生特定功能。无论是哪种目的,对生命遗传物质DNA的操作都非常关键,其具体包括DNA的从头合成、组装和编辑等。同时,这些使能技术的进步也促进了合成生物学其他领域的发展。本文介绍了DNA操作相关的合成生物学使能技术的最新进展。     

A Personalist Ontological Approach to Synthetic Biology

Although synthetic biology is a promising discipline, it also raises serious ethical questions that must be addressed in order to prevent unwanted consequences and to ensure that its progress leads toward the good of all. Questions arise about the role of this discipline in a possible redefinition of the concept of life and its creation. With regard to the products of synthetic biology, the moral status that they should be given as well as the ethically correct way to behave towards them are not clear. Moreover, risks that could result from a misuse of this technology or from an accidental release of synthetic organisms into the environment cannot be ignored; concerns about biosecurity and biosafety appear. Here we discuss these and other questions from a personalist ontological framework, which defends human life as an essential value and proposes a set of principles to ensure the safeguarding of this and other values that are based on it.     

On Cognitive and Moral Enhancement: A Reply to Savulescu and Persson

In a series of recent works, Julian Savulescu and Ingmar Persson insist that, given the ease by which irreversible destruction is achievable by a morally wicked minority, (i) strictly cognitive bio‐enhancement is currently too risky, while (ii) moral bio‐enhancement is plausibly morally mandatory (and urgently so). This article aims to show that the proposal Savulescu and Persson advance relies on several problematic assumptions about the separability of cognitive and moral enhancement as distinct aims. Specifically, we propose that the underpinnings of Savulescu's and Persson's normative argument unravel once it is suitably clear how aiming to cognitively enhance an individual will in part require that one aim to bring about certain moral goods we show to be essential to cognitive flourishing; conversely, aiming to bring about moral enhancement in an individual must involve aiming to improve certain cognitive capacities we show to be essential to moral flourishing. After developing these points in some detail, and their implication for Savulescu's & Persson's proposal, we conclude by outlining some positive suggestions.     

Synthetic circuits,devices and modules

The aim of synthetic biology is to design artificial biological systems for novel applications. From an engineering perspective, construction of biological systems of defined functionality in a hierarchical way is fundamental to this emerging field. Here, we highlight some current advances on design of several basic building blocks in synthetic biology including the artificial gene control elements, synthetic circuits and their assemblies into devices and modules. Such engineered basic building blocks largely expand the synthetic toolbox and contribute to our understanding of the underlying design principles of living cells.     

合成生物学生物安全风险评价与管理

合成生物学(synthetic biology)已迅速发展为生命科学最具发展潜力的分支学科之一,但它同时也会给生态环境和人类健康带来潜在的风险。结合国内外合成生物学发展现状,本文综述了基因回路(DNA-based biocircuits)、最小基因组(minimal genome)、原型细胞(protocells)、化学合成生物学(chemical synthetic biology)等涉及的风险评价、合成生物学与生物安全工程(biosafety engineering)、合成生物学对社会伦理道德法律的影响以及当前热点议题,如生物朋(黑)客(biopunk(or biohackery))、家置生物学(garage biology)、DIY生物学(do-it-yourselfbiology)、生物恐怖主义(bioterrorism)等方面的新进展。分析讨论了世界各国合成生物学以自律监管或技术为主的安全管理原则和基于5个不同政策干预点的5P管理策略的合理性与潜在不足。同时结合我国合成生物学当前研究进展以及现有的安全管理规范,提出了建立以安全评价为核心的法规体系、生物学生物安全规范以及加强研发单位内部管理和生物安全科普宣传等我国合成生物学安全管理制度与措施等建议。     

合成生物学及其在生物技术中的应用进展

合成生物学是一门21世纪生物学的新兴学科,它着眼生物科学与工程科学的结合,把生物系统当作工程系统"从下往上"进行处理,由"单元"(unit)到"部件"(device)再到"系统"(system)来设计,修改和组装细胞构件及生物系统.合成生物学是分子和细胞生物学、进化系统学、生物化学、信息学、数学、计算机和工程等多学科交叉的产物.目前研究应用包括两个主要方面:一是通过对现有的、天然存在的生物系统进行重新设计和改造,修改已存在的生物系统,使该系统增添新的功能.二是通过设计和构建新的生物零件、组件和系统,创造自然界中尚不存在的人工生命系统.合成生物学作为一门建立在基因组方法之上的学科,主要强调对创造人工生命形态的计算生物学与实验生物学的协同整合.必须强调的是,用来构建生命系统新结构、产生新功能所使用的组件单元既可以是基因、核酸等生物组件,也可以是化学的、机械的和物理的元件.本文跟踪合成生物学研究及应用,对其在DNA水平编程、分子修饰、代谢途径、调控网络和工业生物技术等方面的进展进行综述.     

The synthesis of artificial genome as the basis of synthetic biology

Recent achievements in the whole-genome sequencing especially viral and bacterial ones together with the development of methods of bioinformatics and molecular biology, have created preconditions for transition from synthesis of genes to assembly of the whole genomes based on chemically synthesized blocks, oligonucleotides. The creation of artificial genomes and artificial cells will undoubtedly render huge influence on a deepening of knowledge on mechanisms of functioning of living systems at a cellular level, on a way of origin and evolution of life, and also on biotechnology of the future, and will generate preconditions for the further development of synthetic biology and nanobiotechnology.     

复杂天然产物合成人工生物系统的设计与构建

天然产物是人类疾病预防和治疗药物的最重要来源。合成生物学技术的蓬勃发展为天然产物的开发注入了全新的活力。文中重点介绍了如何利用合成生物技术进行复杂天然产物合成人工生物系统的设计与构建,包括与此相关的生物元件理性设计、生物元件挖掘、途径装配与集成,模块的组装与系统的适配等内容。     

Aristotle on the Mechanism of Inheritance

In this paper I address an important question in Aristotle’s biology, What are the causal mechanisms behind the transmission of biological form? Aristotle’s answer to this question, I argue, is found in Generation of Animals Book 4 in connection with his investigation into the phenomenon of inheritance. There we are told that an organism’s reproductive material contains a set of “movements'' which are derived from the various “potentials'' of its nature (the internal principle of change that initiates and controls development). These “movements,'' I suggest, function as specialized vehicles for communicating the parts of the parent’s heritable form during the act of reproduction. After exploring the details of this mechanism, I then take up Aristotle’s theory of inheritance proper. At the heart of the theory are three general principles (or ‘laws’) that govern the interactions between the maternal and paternal movements, the outcome of which determines the pattern of inheritance for the offspring. Although this paper is primarily aimed at providing a detailed analysis of Aristotle’s account of inheritance, the results of that analysis have implications for other areas of Aristotle’s biology. One of the most interesting of these is the question of whether Aristotle’s biology is anti-evolutionary (as traditionally assumed) or whether (as I argue) it leaves room for a theory of evolution by natural selection, even if Aristotle himself never took that step.     

Moral bioenhancement and agential risks: Good and bad outcomes

In Unfit for the Future, Ingmar Persson and Julian Savulescu argue that our collective existetial predicment is unprecedentedly dangerous due to climate change and terrorism. Given these global risks to human prosperity and survival, Persson and Savulescu argue that we should explore the radical possibility of moral bioenhancement in addition to cognitive enhancement. In this article, I argue that moral bioenhancements could nontrivially exacerbate the threat posed by certain kinds of malicious agents, while reducing the threat of other kinds. This introduces a previously undiscussed complication to Persson and Savulescu's proposal. In the final section, I present a novel argument for why moral bioenhancement should either be compulsory or not be made available to the public at all.     

Failures of Imagination: Disability and the Ethics of Selective Reproduction

The article addresses the problem of disability in the context of reproductive decisions based on genetic information. It poses the question of whether selective procreation should be considered as a moral obligation of prospective parents. To answer this question, a number of different ethical approaches to the problem are presented and critically analysed: the utilitarian; Julian Savulescu's principle of procreative beneficence; the rights‐based. The main thesis of the article is that these approaches fail to provide any appealing principles on which reproductive decisions should be based. They constitute failures of imagination which may result in counter‐intuitive moral judgments about both life with disability and genetic selection. A full appreciation of the ethical significance of recognition in procreative decisions leads to a more nuanced and morally satisfying view than other leading alternatives presented in the article.     

催化元件和途径的人工设计与组装

催化元件以及由多个催化元件组成的合成途径的设计与组装为人工合成体系的建立奠定了基础,是合成生物学的重要研究内容。除从自然生物中挖掘大量的天然酶和途径可供人工合成体系使用外,将计算生物学、蛋白质工程以及组合生物合成等技术相结合,理性地、有目的地进行催化元件和途径的人工设计与组装,将提供新功能酶以及新物质合成途径。介绍了催化元件和合成途径人工设计与组装的研究策略和最新进展。     

First,do no harm: Generalized procreative non‐maleficence

New reproductive technologies allow parents some choice over their children. Various moral principles have been suggested to regulate such choices. This article starts from a discussion of Julian Savulescu's Principle of Procreative Beneficence (PPB), according to which parents ought to choose the child expected to have the best quality of life, before combining two previously separate lines of attack against this principle. First, it is suggested that the appropriate moral principles of guiding reproductive choices ought to focus on general wellbeing rather than prioritizing that of the child and, second, that they ought to be non‐maximizing (e.g. seeking the ‘good enough’ or to avoid harm). Though neither of these suggestions is entirely novel, combining them results in a new, and arguably more plausible, principle to regulate procreative choices, which I call the Principle of Generalized Procreative Non‐Maleficence (PGPNM). According to this principle, the primary obligation on parents is not to cause harm to other people through their reproductive choices.     

合成生物学技术在材料科学中的应用

材料是人类赖以生存与发展的物质基础,科技和社会的进步都离不开材料技术的发展,未来先进材料的合成和制备必然朝着绿色可持续、低耗高产出、精细可调控、高效多功能的方向发展。以"基因调控·工程设计"为核心的合成生物学技术从分子、细胞层面极大地推动了生命科学的发展,也已经并继续为材料科学的发展注入新的思路和活力。本文将围绕合成生物学技术在材料科学中的应用,以基因回路设计为核心,概念应用为线索,重点介绍合成生物学技术在高分子生物材料和无机纳米材料领域的开发和生产,细胞展示和蛋白定向进化战略对分子材料的筛选和优化,"活体"功能材料、工程菌调节的人工光合系统功能材料体系以及基因回路在材料科学中的应用。     

植物合成生物学领域发展态势的文献计量分析

合成生物学作为一种颠覆性技术可应用于农业领域的创新发展,解决当前农业学科中的瓶颈问题。利用文献计量学方法从领域发表论文的时序数量分布、主题分布等探测当前合成生物学的基本态势。基于领域的主题分布可知,其中植物合成生物学这一主题是稳定存在的且主题规模处于稳定增长趋势。聚焦植物合成生物学这一主题方向,在构建引文网络的基础上利用主路径分析方法从知识流动角度探测植物合成生物学领域重要知识节点,内容涵盖介子油苷生物合成途径,重要催化酶功能解析、转录因子的调控作用,组学方法的应用,利用微生物酵母进行生物物质合成,这些内容表征了合成生物的核心理论技术。