Synthetic biology combines science and engineering in order to design, build and test novel biological functions and systems. As with any multi-disciplinary field, there is a rapidly-growing body of literature concerning synthetic biology and locating the best information or identifying the hottest topics can be time-consuming. This volume captures the expanding primary literature in the form of critical and comprehensive reviews providing the reader with an authoritative digest of the latest developments in this emerging field. Each chapter strives to highlight the most recent findings in specific sub-areas and reviews research reports that were published over the last two to three years. Leading researchers draw material from both dedicated journals and broader sources, revising traditional concepts in light of emerging discoveries while keeping up with recent progress, making this an essential reference to any library supporting this research.