Biologists Create Yeast with 50% Synthetic DNA
In a groundbreaking accomplishment, biologists announced that they have successfully produced a strain of yeast with a genome consisting of over 50% synthetic DNA. The yeast, a standard brewer’s yeast known as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, typically stores its genetic blueprint across 16 chromosomes. However, in the newly engineered yeast strain, 6.5 of the natural chromosomes were edited and synthesized in the laboratory, while an extra chromosome was stitched together from edited fragments of the yeast’s genetic code.
The Biologists have been working in collaboration, under the Sc2.0 consortium, for the past 15 years to create a strain of yeast with a fully synthetic genome. Their latest accomplishment, described in a package of papers published in Cell, marks a significant milestone in synthetic biology.
If they achieve their goal, the engineered yeast strain would be the first eukaryote with a fully synthetic genome. Eukaryotes are organisms with cells that store their genetic material in a nucleus, which includes humans, animals, and plants.
The implications of this achievement are vast. The researchers envision manipulating the yeast to produce drugs and fuels, opening up new possibilities in biotechnology. The project also provides valuable insights into the biological processes of yeast, helping scientists understand more about the biology of this versatile organism.
One of the main objectives of the Sc2.0 project is to eliminate potential sources of genomic instability. The team deleted large repetitive DNA sequences that do not code for anything but can cause major structural changes in the genome. They also relocated DNA segments that encode transfer RNA into an entirely synthetic ‘neochromosome’ to reduce instabilities.
Despite the significant challenges involved, the engineered yeast with 7.5 synthetic chromosomes were able to survive and replicate, representing a major feat in synthetic biology.
In essence, the project is pushing the boundaries of what can be engineered in biology and is expected to be transformative for biological engineering in the future. However, the team is currently focused on replacing the remaining natural chromosomes with entirely synthetic ones, adding new chromosomes one at a time and debugging the increasingly complex system. It will take time and a lot of effort, but the potential impact of this achievement is substantial and could pave the way for new breakthroughs in biotechnology.