Our ability to sequence genomes and genomic research more broadly have significantly enriched our understanding of the genome of humans as well as the many life forms around us. Yet researchers have always been curious about what really constitutes the minimal requirement for a genome compatible with an organism’s ability to live freely and replicate.
Concurrent advancements in not just reading the genome sequence (sequencing) but also our ability to write (synthesise) genome sequences has sparked the human imagination, and has provided impetus to a new field of research called synthetic biology.
