Construction of minimal genomes and synthetic cells

Abstract

A minimal genome strain containing only genes necessary for maintaining self-replicable life was proposed as a potential platform having various advantages in chemical and pharmaceutical industries. With recent advances in high-throughput DNA sequencing and synthesis technology, many reduced genomes have now been constructed. In this chapter, we will review previously constructed artificially reduced genomes to confirm the potential of their industrial utility. Some of them exhibit growth rates similar to those of their parental wild-type strains while offering higher genetic stability and productivity. Furthermore, we will discuss some technological hurdles and limitations encountered during the design and construction of reduced genomes.