In its simplest definition, synthetic biology is the creation of new biological entities for useful purposes. By manipulating an organism’s genome, synthetic biologists can produce novel proteins for a wide range of applications, from the biosynthesis of industrial chemicals to the discovery and optimization of biotherapeutics. The field of synthetic biology has experienced a renaissance in recent years as technological advances have lowered the barrier to entry and increased the potential for innovation. Principal among these advances has been the development of highly precise and large-scale DNA synthesis platforms. The synthesis of genetic material is a non-trivial, yet integral component of synthetic biology. After all, behind every novel protein is a novel DNA sequence. Synthetic oligonucleotides are also irreplaceable components in CRISPR (clustered regularly interspersed palindromic repeats) gene-editing, DNA sequencing, and the myriad tools that enable researchers to manipulate and interrogate genomes. Historically, oligonucleotide synthesis was a slow, error-prone process that severely limited its usefulness beyond niche studies. However, the advent of phosphoramidite chemistry and solid-phase synthesis marked an inflection point after which the scale, efficiency, and precision of DNA synthesis markedly increased. And with this increase came an ever-growing list of applications for synthetic biology. The field of synthetic biology is on a trajectory to play a pivotal role in addressing many of the world’s most challenging and complex problems. Projects are underway to develop and apply engineered organisms in bioremediation, helping to clean polluted ecosystems. Crops, engineered to resist harsh weather conditions, have long been sought as a means to reduce starvation in drought-stricken environments. And with the ability to rapidly design and build DNA libraries, drug developers will be better equipped to discover and optimize novel therapeutic modalities. Perhaps the most salient example of synthetic biology’s ability to advance therapeutic development is the rapid expansion of cell therapies to include chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T and CAR-NK (natural killer) cells. These highly engineered cells sit at the vanguard of clinical oncology and, as the tools of synthetic biology continue to evolve, will likely play an ever-larger role in patient care. In the following sections, we provide a brief overview of synthetic biology and how this nascent field is catalyzing rapid development of novel biotherapeutics.