ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the current state of the art in creating microorganisms with synthetic genomes. Cloning of bacterial genomes in yeast as centromeric plasmids and transplantation of genomes from one bacterial species to another are described. Methods of DNA synthesis and genome assembly, as well as progress on automation of DNA synthesis, are reviewed. The classification of genes as non-essential, quasi-essential, or essential and identification of those required for minimal life are discussed. Synthesis of a minimal bacterial genome and its installation into a compatible cytoplasm to produce a minimal synthetic cell are described. Progress with synthetic yeast chromosomes is reviewed. Finally, a digital-to-biological converter (DBC) that uses DNA sequence information stored in a computer to direct the automated production of biological materials such as DNA, RNA, proteins, and bacteriophages is described.
