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Table 1 Overview of SB subfields and related keywords

From: Frankenstein 2.0.: Identifying and characterising synthetic biology engineers in science fiction films

Subfield Keywords
Constructing (natural) DNA Synthetic DNA, constructing viruses in the lab, resurrecting extinct animals (e.g. mammoth) by reconstructing their DNA
Reconstructing organisms using natural bio-parts Re-programming life, tuning life, biological parts, biobricks, engineering life, designing and constructing life
Minimizing natural organisms (top-down) Reduced life, minimal life, simple life, minimal genome
Constructing whole cells or parts thereof Creating life from scratch, artificial life, synthetic life, protocells, vesicles
Creating alternative/unnatural lifeforms Alien life forms, unnatural life forms, weird life, shadow life, completely new life, unknown life, artificial life, second life
  1. Based on O’Malley et al. (2008), Schmidt et al. (2009a), Deplazes (2009), Schmidt and Pei (2011).