DNA 101 for Synthetic Biology

DNA is what we are all about at iGEM. But... what is DNA, anyways? This week, we take you through a crash course on DNA for genetic engineering and synthetic biology. We're breaking it down into the key concepts you’ll need to follow everything that comes next in our iGEM series.Whether you’re brand new to biology or just need a refresher, this episode is designed to give you the essential toolkit for understanding how we design and build biological systems in iGEM. We’ll keep things accessible, practical, and focused on what actually matters for engineering biology.By the end of this episode, you’ll have a solid grasp of the core pieces, (DNA, RNA, proteins, and gene regulation) that power everything we’ll explore in the rest of the series.(00:00) Introduction (00:35) The Central Dogma (01:25) Breaking Down DNA (02:30) Breaking Down RNA and Transcription (03:37) Overview of Translation (05:23) Why Protein Matters (06:19) Diving Deeper with Enzymes (07:10) Transcription Revisited (09:00) Translation Revisited (09:57) Chassis Organisms (10:47) Recombinant DNA (11:06) Codon Optimization (11:30) Chromosome and Plasmid Crash Course (12:56) Copy Number (14:04) Antibiotic Resistance (14:41) Conclusion