The goal of “synthetic biology,” as the field is known, is to move microbiology and cell biology closer to the approach of engineering, so that standardized parts can be mixed, matched, and assembled – just as off-the-shelf chassis, engines, transmissions, and so on can be combined to build a hot-rod.
其实“合成生物学”这一研究领域的目标，就是利用工程手段将微观生物学，细胞生物学更紧密地结合起来，从而实现将标准化的生物组件互相混合，配对和组装——犹如用现成的底盘，引擎，变速器等部件组装成一辆新车一样。