ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the state of the art in creating microorganisms with synthetic genomes. It describes cloning of bacterial genomes in yeast as centromeric plasmids and transplantation of genomes from one bacterial species to another. The chapter reviews methods of DNA synthesis and genome assembly, as well as progress on automation of DNA synthesis. It considers digital-to-biological converter that uses DNA sequence information stored in a computer to direct the automated production of biological materials such as DNA, RNA, proteins, and bacteriophages. The chapter outlines the classification of genes as non-essential, quasi-essential, or essential and identification of those required for minimal life. In attempting to define a minimal set of genetic functions for life, it makes sense to start with a natural cell that already has a small genome. Without prior knowledge of the final minimal content of essential and quasi-essential genes, minimization is best carried out in a series of design, build, and test cycles.
