Simple explanation
Gene editing changes what is written in a cell's instructions. Synthetic biology asks what you would write if you were designing from scratch: sensors that detect a condition, switches that respond, circuits that make a cell do something it never did before. CAR-T cancer therapy is the best-known example — immune cells given a new receptor so they recognise tumours they would otherwise ignore.
Go deeper
Synthetic biology applies engineering principles — standardised parts, modular composition, design-build-test cycles — to biological systems. In medicine its most successful output is engineered cell therapy, notably CAR-T. Gene editing is one tool within it: editing is how synthetic constructs are installed and how unwanted native functions are removed, particularly in allogeneic products where the donor cells' own receptors must be disabled.
Where editing and synthetic biology meet
Allogeneic — 'off the shelf' — cell therapy is the clearest intersection. Making one donor's cells usable in many patients requires removing the T-cell receptor so the cells do not attack the recipient, and removing markers so the recipient does not immediately destroy them. That is several simultaneous edits in one cell, which is why multiplex editing capability is a competitive advantage in this field.
Sources
- National Human Genome Research Institute
What is genome editing? ↗