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We live in a remarkable time. Ever since the 70’s, we’ve been able to read, interpret and manipulate DNA ­ the programming language of life itself. Now, backed by the transformation of biology into an information science and Moore’s law, we have complete lists of the basic components that constitute living systems, accessible from any web browser in the world; we have genetic building blocks that are standardized and cheap, allowing modular use with predictable outcomes; and we have computer aided design, analysis and modelling to speed up progress even more. Together with rapid gene synthesis and sequencing technologies, engineering life has become both more accessible and creative, resulting in a synthetic biology revolution poised to transform industries. In practice, synthetic biology often involves the design of genetic circuits ­ sets of interacting genes that perform a desired task ­ and the insertion of the designed circuit into living cells. As such, microbes can be programmed to produce fuels, smell like banana’s, or sense and break down toxic compounds. We are already remaking ourselves and our world, redesigning, recoding, and reinventing nature itself in the process