A New Approach to an Old Problem: Synthetic Biology Tools for Human Disease and Metabolism

The field of synthetic biology seeks to develop engineering principles for biological systems. Along these lines, synthetic biology can address human metabolic disease through the development of genetic approaches to the study and modification of metabolism. The re-engineering of natural metabolic states provides fundamental understanding of the integrated components underlying dysfunctional metabolism. Alternatively, the development of biological devices that can both sense and affect metabolic states could render unique control over disease states. In this chapter, we discuss the advancement of synthetic biological approaches to monitoring and engineering metabolism, as well as prospects for synthetic biology’s future role in the prevention and treatment of metabolic disease.