Synthetic biology is an emerging biological discipline in the 21st century. It focuses on the combination of biological sciences and engineering sciences. The engineering formalism was used to design, modify and assemble cellular components into biological systems in the "bottom-up" way that comes up from "unit" to "parts" then to "System". Synthetic biology is a multidisciplinary study of molecular and cellular biology, evolutionary systematics, biochemistry, informatics, mathematics, computer and engineering. Recently, synthetic biology has been redefined as for: (I) the design and construction of new biological parts, devices, and systems that do not already exist in the nature, and (II) the re-design of existing, natural biological systems for novel function or products. As an established post-genome method, synthetic biology emphasizes on the synergistic integration of computational biology and experimental biology for the existing or new life forms. It must be noticed that the elements used in synthetic biology for new cellular structure or function may not only be genes, nucleic acids and other biological components, but also be chemical, mechanical and physical components. This article is a review for the most recently progress in the fundamental research and applications in synthetic biology. In particular, attentions were paid on synthetic biology study on the programming at the DNA level, molecular modification, metabolic pathways, regulatory networks, and industrial biotechnology and other aspects.