Synthetic regulatory RNAs as tools for engineering biological systems: Design and applications

The engineering of biological systems requires a set of molecular tools that can be predictably applied to the design of sophisticated genetic systems. Recent advances in the field of RNA synthetic biology, particularly in the design of synthetic regulatory RNAs for the static and dynamic control of gene expression, have increased our ability to efficiently build various biological systems capable of performing programmed cellular behaviors. Furthermore, implementing these synthetic regulatory RNAs in biological systems highlights the potential for designing synthetic cell systems for chemical synthesis, environmental, agricultural, and medical applications. In this paper, we review current developments in synthetic regulatory RNAs for the static and dynamic control of gene expression and the potential applications of these tools.

This paper was originally published in Chemical Engineering Science 103, 36–41.