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Genetic Biocontainment Systems for the Safe Use of Engineered Microorganisms

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Abstract

Recent advances in genetic engineering and synthetic biology have enabled a variety of genetically modified microorganisms (GMOs) designed for open environmental applications. The use of GMOs in these applications, however, raised concerns about the spread of artificial biological matters into the natural environment. To address the issue, genetic biocontainment system has emerged as a way to prevent unauthorized propagation of GMOs and genetic materials into the ecosystem. In this review, we introduce biocontainment systems that control the proliferation of microorganisms and the release of genetic materials, focusing primarily on genetic means to eliminate cells and DNA. We outline each biocontainment system with representative examples, highlighting its advantages and disadvantages. We also discuss future challenges that genetic biocontainment systems should overcome for practical uses.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Samsung Research Funding & Incubation Center of Samsung Electronics under Project Number SRFC-MA1901-11.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Neither ethical approval nor informed consent was required for this study.

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  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 37673, Korea

    Donghyeon Kim & Jeong Wook Lee

  2. School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 37673, Korea

    Jeong Wook Lee

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  1. Donghyeon Kim
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Kim, D., Lee, J.W. Genetic Biocontainment Systems for the Safe Use of Engineered Microorganisms. Biotechnol Bioproc E 25, 974–984 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12257-020-0070-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12257-020-0070-1

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