Synthetic biology, as a groundbreaking and transformative technology for understanding life, has opened the door to the transformation of non-living matter into living matter. It enables the rational design and editing of biological systems, providing a new paradigm for life science research and catalyzing the iterative development of biotechnology. Over the past two decades, synthetic biology has achieved a series of breakthroughs, gradually realizing innovative applications and establishing a disciplinary framework. The development of synthetic biology can be broadly grouped into three directions: first, a series of breakthroughs in enabling technologies; second, the iterative improvement of the synthesis and assembly capabilities of biological genomes; and third, the construction and application of cell factories and novel biological systems (" build to learn" and "build to use"). Based on the progress in life sciences, we attempt to elucidate the disciplinary framework of synthetic biology, and envision future trends.