In a recent study published in Nature Plants (I link it here), a group of scientists announced a revolutionary advance in the field of synthetic biology: the creation of the partially synthetic genome for a plant, the ground moss.
A work that marks an important step towards the development of genomes of completely artificial plants and highlights the potential of moss as a means of producing medicines and other biotechnological products.
A new horizon in synthetic biology
With its partially synthetic version of the moss genome Physcomitrium patens, the team of researchers led by Ian Ehrenreich at the University of Southern California has made significant progress.
By focusing on a part of this plant's chromosome, scientists have accomplished fundamental work. The implication is clear: even multicellular organisms can be the subject of synthetic genomics studies. This is just the beginning of a project called SynMoss (from “synthetic” and “moss”, synthetic moss).
Synthetic plant: technology and future goals
In the SynMoss project, researchers chose to work on part of the short arm of chromosome 18, the smallest of the plant genome, reducing it by 56%. The modified plant showed normality in terms of size and shape. And it has a resistance to various stresses similar to that of its natural counterparts.
While waiting for the completely synthetic one, the use of terrestrial moss in the production of certain chemical compounds and drugs is already a reality. A drug synthesized from genetically modified versions of musk is currently in clinical trials. The SynMoss project promises to further expand these capabilities, bringing us closer to the goal of a fully synthetic moss genome within the next ten years.
Before long, synthetic biology will transform the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
