Tips on how to build a better home for biological parts

The new study by VBI researchers not only examined the information content of the Registry database but also the collection of publicly available DNA sequences or clones (BioBricks) that are used to make the biological devices and systems. The analysis of the Registry database and the associated DNA clones identified several key needs where improvements could be made. These included the following: (a) to distinguish basic parts and composite parts that can be broken down into smaller parts; (b) to set curation standards to document the sequences of basic parts by associating them with entries in bioinformatic or bibliographic databases; (c) to define and implement quality control standards that ensure the integrity of DNA clones; and (d) to provide editorial policies that could help build registries of biological parts with high-value and high-quality content.

Peccoud concluded: "The Registry of Standard Biological Parts has been a pioneering experiment for the synthetic biology community and lessons should be learned to improve this resource and design the next-generation registries of biological parts. This bottom-up approach to biology raises a number of challenging theoretical questions. Defining what is a biological part, for example, remains a problem that the entire synthetic biology community needs to solve. In this respect, recent initiatives led by the BioBrick foundation and others to organize forums that define technical standards for biological parts appear to be very timely and laudable."

‡ A complete description of the findings and recommendations of the analysis are available in the publication: "Targeted development of registries of biological parts", July 16, 2008 edition of PLoS One: http://www.plosone.org/doi/pone.0002671.

About VBI

The Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech (www.vbi.vt.edu) has a research platform centered on understanding the "disease triangle" of host-pathogen-environment interactions in plants, humans and other animals. By successfully channeling innovation into transdisciplinary approaches that combine information technology and biology, researchers at VBI are addressing some of today's key challenges in the biomedical, environmental and plant sciences.