What is systems biology?

Systems biology focuses on developing a holistic understanding of the complex interactions within biological systems. By mining, modeling, and synthesizing large amounts of data, one of its major aims is to discover emergent properties of cells, tissues, and organisms. As examples, the Iyer lab developed one of the first microarrays to gain a complete understanding of gene expression in yeast, while the Marcotte lab carried out the first full analysis of protein interactions in human cells.

Edward Marcotte: The Search for Genes Leads to Unexpected Places -- The New York Times

What is synthetic biology?

Synthetic biology is an engineering discipline that seeks to modify or generate living systems to have more useful properties. Synthetic biologists frequently rely both on genetic engineering of cellular DNA and on chemical biology to alter the base set of materials available to life. For example, the Ellington lab was able to modify bacteria to respond to light, yielding the first bacterial photograph and edge detector.

Andy Ellington Receives Major Grant to Improve Detection of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis