Synthetic biology combines elements of engineering, mathematics, chemistry, and biology to synthesize novel systems from characterized biological components. With rapid advances in DNA sequencing and synthesis technologies, synthetic biology has evolved from classic recombinant DNA technologies wherein a small number of genes were actively manipulated, to a state where small genomes can be synthesized and transformed into protoplasts to enable self-replication. The next generation of synthetic biologists will develop the tools and understanding necessary to build microorganisms from scratch and develop synthetic biological systems for solving society’s grand challenges.