Fig. 2: Restructuring.
a Synthetic genomics makes it possible to engineer diverse chromosome structures. At a micro-scale, the arrangement of genetic material within genomic regions can be altered. For example, structural overlaps between adjacent genes can be eliminated (i.e., refactoring) or genes with related functions can be positioned next to each other (i.e., modularization). Such modifications can be implemented chromosome-wide. b On a macro scale, this includes the introduction of gross chromosomal rearrangements, such as deletions, insertion, inversions, and translocations, as well as the modification of chromosome number and conformation.
