AUTHOR=McCarthy Diane M. , Medford June I. 

TITLE=Quantitative and Predictive Genetic Parts for Plant Synthetic Biology

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2020

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2020.512526

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2020.512526

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=Plant synthetic biology aims to harness the natural abilities of plants and turn them to new purposes. A primary goal of plant synthetic biology is to produce predictable and programmable genetic circuits from simple regulatory elements and well-characterized genetic components. With the development of parts libraries and methods for rapid quantitative characterization, the field of plant synthetic biology is still in its early stages. We here describe methods used to describe the quantitative properties of genetic components needed for plant synthetic biology. Once the quantitative properties and transfer function of a variety of genetic parts are known, computers can select the optimal components to assemble into functional devices such as toggle switches and positive feedback circuits. However, while plants represent a virtually limitless opportunity for development of novel synthetic circuits and traits, they pose challenges as well. Plants are composed of differentiated cells and tissues, each representing potentially unique regulatory or developmental contexts to introduced synthetic genetic circuits. Further, plants have evolved to be highly sensitive to environmental influences such as light or temperature, any of which can affect the quantitative function of individual parts or whole circuits. Measuring the function of plant components within the context of a plant cell and, ideally, in a living plant, will be essential to using these components in gene circuits with predictable function. Mathematical modeling will need to account for the variable contexts a gene might face in the context of a plant, and generate circuits with predictable function in a variety of tissues and environments. With such understanding in hand, it may be possible to redesign plant traits to serve human and environmental needs.