Abstract
Ecosystems are complex networks of interacting individuals co-evolving with their environment. As such, changes to an interaction can influence the whole ecosystem. However, to predict the outcome of these changes, considerable understanding of processes driving the system is required. Synthetic biology provides powerful tools to aid this understanding, but these developments also allow us to change specific interactions. Of particular interest is the ecological importance of mutualism, a subset of cooperative interactions. Mutualism occurs when individuals of different species provide a reciprocal fitness benefit. We review available experimental techniques of synthetic biology focused on engineered synthetic mutualistic systems. Components of these systems have defined interactions that can be altered to model naturally occurring relationships. Integrations between experimental systems and theoretical models, each informing the use or development of the other, allow predictions to be made about the nature of complex relationships. The predictions range from stability of microbial communities in extreme environments to the collapse of ecosystems due to dangerous levels of human intervention. With such caveats, we evaluate the promise of synthetic biology from the perspective of ethics and laws regarding biological alterations, whether on Earth or beyond. Just because we are able to change something, should we?
Highlights
Synthetic biology can be considered the development of biological systems that behave predictably via introduction of well-characterised genetic modifications [1,2]
As the nexus of several disciplines, the definition of synthetic biology is subject to considerable revision reflecting varying perspectives
Often cited for industrial or health applications, synthetic biology is a powerful tool for studying fundamental biological processes. It includes the study of complex population dynamics and ecological interactions, like mutualism, via construction of biological systems with predictable behaviours
Summary
Synthetic biology can be considered the development of biological systems that behave predictably via introduction of well-characterised genetic modifications [1,2]. Often cited for industrial or health applications, synthetic biology is a powerful tool for studying fundamental biological processes. It includes the study of complex population dynamics and ecological interactions, like mutualism, via construction of biological systems with predictable behaviours. One way or surviving the apocalypse was to associate with other organisms who could survive in the presence of oxygen Such a process could lead to the origin of major transitions in life such as multicellularity [17]. Synthetic biology could help us address some fundamental questions about mutualistic interactions. How do they arise in the first place? We are able to implement ecosystem-level change, should we?
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