1. Technical definitions
1.1. "Synthetic biology is the design and construction of biological devices and systems for useful purposes." - Wikipedia
1.2. "engineering biology for fun and profit" - me
1.3. intersection of multiple fields
2. Lab techniques
2.1. extract DNA from living things
2.2. find DNA in a database
2.3. design your genome
2.4. order DNA over the internet
2.5. DNA transformation
3. Portrayals
3.1. GM
3.1.1. vital escence
3.1.2. magical transformation
3.1.3. evil scientist vs victim/specimin
3.1.4. upgrades
3.1.5. reversible
3.1.6. happens "to" something/someone
3.2. Synbio
3.2.1. designed
3.2.2. purposeful
3.2.3. gooey
3.2.4. organic
3.2.5. technician, researcher, engineer
3.2.6. it *is* something/someone
4. Practical realities
4.1. gm
4.1.1. 'hit and hope'
4.1.2. tinkering
4.1.3. small-scale
4.1.4. expert knowledge
4.1.5. relatively mature
4.1.6. validated
4.1.7. reached its natural limitations/limit
4.1.8. many products
4.1.8.1. insulin
4.1.8.2. vitamin c
4.1.8.3. glowing fish
4.2. synbio
4.2.1. design process
4.2.2. planned
4.2.3. computer-aided design
4.2.4. databases
4.2.5. DNA compiler
4.2.6. artificial intelligence
4.2.7. new/emerging
4.2.8. hardly even started yet
4.2.9. few products
4.2.9.1. biofuels
4.2.9.2. drug production
4.2.9.3. industrial enzymes
4.2.9.4. bio-concrete
5. Me
5.1. Work
5.1.1. genetics
5.1.2. computers
5.1.3. bioinformatics
5.1.4. synthetic biology (synbio)
5.2. Play
5.2.1. husband/father
5.2.2. real ale
5.2.3. growing vegetables
5.2.4. stone carving
5.2.5. all things sci-fi
6. Media
6.1. Gremlin spider
6.1.1. gremlin injected with DNA in the lab
6.1.2. takes on hybrid properties of a gremlin and a spider
6.1.3. morphs in real time, no reproductive cycle
6.2. DNA Mad Scientist - Farscape
6.2.1. scientist accidentally enhances lab rat who then starts upgrading himself and enslaves the scientist
6.2.2. injects self with genetic 'upgrades'
6.2.3. effects reversed later on in the story
6.3. BioShock
6.4. Mephiesto's various creations - South Park
6.5. Day of the Triffids - Wyndham
6.5.1. "My own belief, for what that is worth, is that they were the outcome of a series of ingenious biological meddlings—and very likely accidental, at that. Had they been evolved anywhere but in the region they were, we should doubtless have had a well‑documented ancestry for them." Bill Masen
6.6. Oryx and Crake - Atwood
6.7. Synbio in our oceans
6.7.1. The Kraken Wakes - Wyndham
6.7.2. The Swarm - Schatzing
6.8. Embassytown - China Mieville
6.9. eXistenZ
6.10. Babylon 5
6.10.1. Vorlons
6.10.1.1. ships (remodelling)
6.10.1.2. telepaths (tinkering)
6.10.2. Shadows
6.10.2.1. shadow ships (hybrid remodelling + human CPU)
6.10.2.2. technomages (tinkering?)
6.10.3. Others
6.10.3.1. Ikarran war machine - organic 'weapon' that subsumes a host
6.11. Prometheus (Alien)
6.11.1. The Engineers designed/adapted Aliens
6.12. Rule 34 - Stross
6.12.1. spider silk beer
7. Fact vs Fiction
7.1. GM
7.1.1. pre-scientific, vitalist
7.1.2. fantastical, like a magic potion
7.1.3. not related to the reality of GM
7.2. Synbio
7.2.1. in the spirit of synbio
7.2.2. tends to be closer to the reality of synbio
7.2.3. converging as the science improves