The vast world of synthetic biology is as fascinating as it is multidisciplinary. Today, we continue our journey by exploring how this rapidly developing science manages to connect numerous disciplines, including the vast field of chemistry.
One could almost say that synthetic biology without chemistry is like a construction site with an architect but no bricks. The world, indeed, the entire universe, is all and only a matter of chemistry, of interactions and reactions between atoms and molecules. But how can we leverage this knowledge within synthetic biology?
Chemistry as a central science
Chemistry is often referred to as the “central science” because it connects in a unique way with all the natural sciences and beyond: physics, biology, astronomy, geology, medicine, engineering, and materials science.
Thanks to chemistry, we can understand the mechanisms behind the growth of a plant, the formation of an igneous rock, the development of the atmospheric ozone layer, the degradation of environmental pollutants, or the way medications work within the body…
In synthetic biology, this becomes even more evident: every biological process, no matter how complex or sophisticated, is governed by fundamental chemical interactions.
Chemistry as the foundation of life
Who hasn’t played with a chemistry set as a child, dreaming of creating explosive reactions or turning the house rainbow-colored? But chemistry is not just about reagents, beakers, Bunsen burners, or pipettes—it is a much deeper study that reaches all the way down to the atom.
It is the interactions between atoms that make every activity within a living organism possible. These interactions may seem insignificant, dealing as they do with entities we can’t even see, but the forces binding two atoms together are—on a human scale—comparable to the gravitational force of thousands of kilograms! Synthetic biology harnesses these interactions as its base and foundation.
To design a gene, for example, one must understand the reactions that give rise to nitrogenous bases—fundamental elements that make up the DNA of every organism and encode the instructions for life—as well as the interactions that hold DNA strands together.
Even the transcription of a DNA segment, which eventually leads to the formation of proteins needed by our bodies, is regulated by chemical interactions with specific molecules and enzymatic proteins known as transcription factors. Mastering the use of these activators is essential in many applications.
Every single cell in our body is composed of lipid molecules that are able to form and maintain the cell membrane thanks only to these interactions.
But even disciplines that seem light-years away from chemistry actually rely on its principles: think, for instance, of bioinformatics or molecular robotics, which depend on chemical models to understand or design new biological structures, such as the three-dimensional conformation of a protein.
In this sense, chemistry not only provides practical tools for operation but also acts as a common language, enabling scientists from different fields to collaborate in understanding, imitating, and reinventing life—and more.
Chemistry is not just a science of test tubes and formulas: it is the hidden engine of the universe, of life, and of synthetic biology. Without it, we couldn’t understand life—let alone modify it to face the great challenges of our time. Together, chemists, biologists, and engineers are rewriting the future, molecule by molecule.