Highlights

ABSTRACT

Abbreviations

Keywords

Introduction

Clarifying the nomenclature: towards a definition of SynBio chassis

The roadmap from being a rDNA host to a fully-fledged certified SynBio chassis

Safe implementation of SynBio agents: standardized chassis should ease ERA certifications

Barcoding as an avenue to ease traceability and manage contingencies

The need of new ERA standards and metrics

Pseudomonas putida as an example of how to become a SynBio chassis

Is P. putida safe?

Conclusion

Acknowledgements

References

ABSTRACT

At the onset of the 4th Industrial Revolution, the role of synthetic biology (SynBio) as a fuel for the bioeconomy requires clarification of the terms typically adopted by this growing scientific-technical field. The concept of the chassis as a defined, reusable biological frame where non-native components can be plugged in and out to create new functionalities lies at the boundary between frontline bioengineering and more traditional recombinant DNA technology. As synthetic biology leaves academic laboratories and starts penetrating industrial and environmental realms regulatory agencies demand clear definitions and descriptions of SynBio constituents, processes and products. In this article, the state of the ongoing discussion on what is a chassis is reviewed, a non-equivocal nomenclature for the jargon used is proposed and objective criteria are recommended for distinguishing SynBio agents from traditional GMOs. The use of genomic barcodes as unique identifiers is strongly advocated.

Introduction

The language of physics and engineering uses clear definitions of forces, measures, and units to be precise and unequivocal. If one says ampere, kilometer, gravity or screw pitch it is known exactly what the term means. In contrast, the jargon of synthetic biology (SynBio), which aims at transforming biology to an engineering discipline is peppered with words and metaphors which seem to be more a declaration of intentions (or wishes) than an accurate description of the items named thereby. One of the central notions of contemporary SynBio is that of chassis [[1], [2], [3], [4]] a term that evokes the basic frame of a car to which a number of components can be added in response to specifications and/or customers’ desires (from French: châssis = frame; latin capsa = container, box). By the same token, the word started to be used in the early 2000s by the incipient SynBio community of the time as a somewhat humorous and engineering-sounding description of the biological host used as the recipient of recombinant DNA — which by that time meant nearly exclusively Escherichia coli. The word chassis (and the powerful metaphor embodied in it) became an instant success and was quickly incorporated into the habitual discourse of SynBio-as-engineering. However, the word has acquired new meanings over the years and has been used in many different contexts beyond its original and somewhat modest significance.