Collections/Functional Nucleic Acids
Synthetic biology aims to rationally design bio-engineered, bio-inspired and biomimetic systems with diverse and versatile applicability, spanning from smart medicine to industrial biotechnology and bioremediation. Whether the development of these is approached from top-down, middle-out, or bottom-up, synthetic biological systems are highly interdisciplinary and harness tools, techniques, and expertise from several fields of science. Nucleic acid nanotechnologies offer highly programmable and controllable means for the generation of synthetic biological devices. DNA and RNA, despite their central role in the perpetuation of life, often display functionality beyond their biological intent. These devices, known as functional nucleic acids and depicted schematically in Figure 1, can perform various molecular processes that range from sensing to protein production regulation and protein mimicking.
We herein summarise the subtypes and roles of functional nucleic acids, and present the Functional Nucleic Acids (FNA) Registry: a biobrick compilation that showcases their usage in iGEM as tools for the development of synthetic systems that tackle global issues. We envision that the FNA Registry will serve as a platform to document and build upon relevant advances, which in conjunction with the Functional Nucleic Acids Hub, can connect and spark interdisciplinary work and collaborations across the research community.