Synthetic biology is redefining what is possible in plant biotechnology.
Programmable Plants
Instead of modifying individual traits or relying on constitutive expression, we take plant biotechnology a step further by applying synthetic biology principles, such as sensors, logic gates, memory, and signal amplification.
Our goal is to create de novo genetic pathways that break the common trade-off between yield and resilience.
Chromosome Engineering
Chromosome engineering enables the creation and deployment of complete sets of adaptive traits as modular units, leaving the native genome untouched. Synthetic chromosomes can introduce entire genetic modules for specific functionalities in crops.
Madeinplant collaborates with Syntato in a project funded by ARIA, aimed at reducing costs and iteration times in chromosome engineering by making chromosomes modular and reusable.
GoldenBraid is an advanced modular cloning platform developed by the Plant Genomics and Biotechnology Lab of the IBMCP (CSIC). Now, through Madeinplant, you gain exclusive access to GoldenBraid Pro for building complex genetic constructs quickly and efficiently. With over 25,000 modular genetic parts generated by users worldwide, GoldenBraid has become the gold standard in plant synthetic biology.
• Speed: assemble multiple genetic parts in one construct. Two expression cassettes can be assembled in under 24 hours.
• Simplicity: Perform iterative assemblies using just four destination plasmids and four basic assembly rules.
• Precision: seamless Type IIS cloning ensures scarless or scar-benign constructs.
• Ready-to-use CRISPR tools: over 50 optimized constructs for gene editing, transcriptional regulation, and multiplexing.
• Software-assisted design: GB Assembler supports domestication, in silico assembly, and links to the full part database.
- Design complex constructs easily and visually, combining standardized parts in an intuitive interface
- Access a rich database of validated, ready-to-use genetic parts: promoters, terminators, marker genes, CRISPR elements, and more
- Order ready-to-use kits: Starter Kit, CRISPR Tools, Bioluminescence Tools, Geminino Tools
- Assemble constructs in silico before lab work, saving time and reducing errors
- Request custom assemblies: design on the web platform, and our team will assemble them for you
GoldenBraid Pro turns plant genetic engineering into a plug-and-play experience.
It uses a Type IIS restriction enzyme system (e.g., BsaI, BsmBI), which cut outside their recognition sites, generating user-defined sticky ends. This allows efficient one-tube assembly using T4 ligase, with removal of restriction sites during assembly. The result: seamless or near-seamless constructs.
Its symmetrical double-loop (“braid”) design includes two sets of inverted restriction sites in all plasmids. This allows first-level expression plasmids to become input plasmids for second-level assemblies and vice versa:
- BsaI enables cloning into α destination vectors
- BsmBI enables cloning into Ω destination vectors
This dual-loop system allows indefinite, reusable expansion of genetic modules via binary iterative assembly.
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Further Reading
- GoldenBraid: An Iterative Cloning System for Standardized Assembly of Reusable Genetic Modules – Sarrion-Perdigones et al., 2011
- GoldenBraid 2.0: A Comprehensive DNA Assembly Framework for Plant Synthetic Biology – Sarrion-Perdigones et al., 2013
- GB3.0: a platform for plant bio-design that connects functional DNA elements with associated biological data – Vázquez-Vilar et al., 2017
- Edition of complex gene families in tobacco with GoldenBraid 4.0, a multipurpose web-based platform for plant genome engineering – Vázquez-Vilar et al., 2020
Ready to design your next construct like a pro? Visit
Use cases
Sector
Application
Reference
Crop improvement
Flavonoids and Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA)-enriched tomatoes
Vazquez-Vilar et al. 2023
Molecular farming
SARS-CoV-2 antibody production with post-harvest copper induction
Garcia-Perez et al. 2025
Synthetic biology
Quantitative bioluminescence reporter system using the Neonothopanus nambi pathway
Calvache et al. 2023
Genome editing
Extended juvenile phase and increased branching via SPL gene family CRISPR mutagenesis (17 gRNAs)
Vazquez-Vilar et al. 2021
Basic research
Functional characterization of ABA receptors via CRISPR mutagenesis (10 gRNAs)
Pizzio et al 2022
FAQs
What sets GoldenBraid Pro apart from traditional Golden Gate?
Our system uses a dual-loop design that allows for the reuse and infinite recombination of modules. In classical Golden Gate cloning, type IIS restriction sites are removed during assembly, which limits its efficiency when building complex multigene constructs, as it does not easily allow the integration of previously assembled units.
GoldenBraid also adopts a standardized grammar that includes barcodes associated with the basic functional categories of a typical transcriptional unit (TU). This enables the rapid and easy incorporation of elements such as 5′ and 3′ regulatory operators, signal peptides, C-terminal or N-terminal fusions, and more. The system captures the complexity of genetic modules and maximizes the potential of plant synthetic biology.
What types of genetic parts can I use?
The GoldenBraid database includes promoters, coding sequences, terminators, CRISPR tools, regulatory elements, and more—all in a format fully compatible with the GoldenBraid system. You can use our standardized parts or upload your own.
Does it work with my model organism?
The tools have been successfully tested in Nicotiana benthamiana, Arabidopsis thaliana, tomato, rice, and other model crops. The platform is adaptable to various plant transformation systems.
ADDITIONAL AREAS
Expert plant biodesigners specialized in reprogramming plants to improve their agronomic traits or turn them into valuable biofactories.
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