December 9, 2013
Now, in “Life at the Speed of Light,†Venter goes behind the breakthrough, exploring the biological advances that made his artificial critter possible and offering an insider’s view of one of science’s hottest new fields. (Washington Post)
November 19, 2013
There’s little to fear from the existing Do-It-Yourself Biology (DIYbio) movement, concludes a report released today by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. “There’s been a lot of debate in the biosecurity community about what DIYers … Read More
November 18, 2013
Developments in genetic engineering make it possible to ‘re-programme’ the human immune system so that T cells – white blood cells that normally fight viruses – recognize and kill cancer cells. This approach, which directly harnesses the potency of the … Read More
November 18, 2013
“GROW YOUR OWN… is a new exhibition created by Science Gallery at Trinity College Dublin that invites you to consider some of the potentially ground-breaking applications and uncertain implications of synthetic life. Tackling the provocative questions that designing life raises, … Read More
November 12, 2013
Artificial materials based on simple synthetic polymers can disrupt the way in which bacteria communicate with each other, a study led by scientists at The University of Nottingham has shown. The findings, published in the journal Nature Chemistry, could further … Read More
November 6, 2013
The United Nations (UN) is working to ensure that the benefits of genetic resources are shared in a fair and equitable way via the Nagoya Protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity, though questions remain about how this treaty will … Read More
November 5, 2013
A new way to build membrane-crossing pores, using Lego-like DNA building blocks, has been developed by scientists at UCL, in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Cambridge and the University of Southampton. The approach provides a simple and low … Read More
October 30, 2013
Claims about the benefits of a biotech project to make artemisinin are overblown, says Claire Marris. In April, a consortium led by the global health NGO PATH — and comprising the University of California, Berkeley, synthetic biology company Amyris and pharmaceutical … Read More
October 29, 2013
From armpit brie to banana flavoured E.coli, artists and bio-hackers have teamed up to push the frontiers of ‘synthetic biology’ in a new exhibition. (The Guardian)
October 28, 2013
In his latest book, genetic guru J. Craig Venter envisions a brave new world where DNA can be teleported between planets and where custom-made bacteria produce drugs, food and biofuel — but he also worries that do-it-yourself biohackers could spoil … Read More
October 25, 2013
Newman’s biotech company is creating new organisms, most forms of genetically modified yeast, at the dizzying rate of more than 1,500 a day. Some convert sugar into medicines. Others create moisturizers that can be used in cosmetics. And still others … Read More
October 21, 2013
Like editors trying to improve a poorly-written book, a team of scientists deleted some ‘letters,’ and inserted others, working feverishly to recode the entire genome of an organism. In so doing, they improved a bacterium’s ability to resist viruses. “This … Read More
October 18, 2013
In 2007 J. Craig Venter and his team sequenced an entire human genome—Venter’s own—making scientific history. Three years later his team became the first to successfully create “synthetic life,” and won a Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Leadership Award. In his newest … Read More
October 15, 2013
The pioneering American scientist, who created the world’s first synthetic life, is building a gadget that could teletransport medicine and vaccines into our homes or to colonists in space. (The Guardian)
October 11, 2013
BIOFILMS are a problem in medicine. When bacteria gang up to form the continuous sheets that bear this name they are far harder to kill with antibiotics than when they just float around as individual cells. Biofilms on devices such … Read More
October 10, 2013
Science, Technology and Society (Volume 18, No. 3, November 2013) is now available online by subscription only. Articles include: “Blastocysts and Family Planning: IVF and Tracking a Developmental Context for Biomedical Research in Singapore (1966–1994)†by John DiMoia “Governing International Biobank … Read More
October 3, 2013
The notorious bacteria E. coli is best known for making people sick, but scientists have reprogrammed the microbe— which also comes in harmless varieties—  to make it seek out and fight other disease-causing pathogens. The researchers’ report appears in the … Read More
October 1, 2013
Public Understanding of Science (Volume 22, No. 7, October 2013) is now available online by subscription only. Articles include: “Scientific authority in policy contexts: Public attitudes about environmental scientists, medical researchers, and economists†by Timothy L. O’Brien “Attitudes and attitudinal ambivalence … Read More
September 17, 2013
Bioethics (Volume 27, Issue 8,  October 2013) is now available online by subscription only. Articles include: “Synthetic Biology for Human Health: Issues for Ethical Discussion and Policy-making †by Nikola Biller-Andorno et al. “Do We Have A Moral Obligation to Synthesize … Read More
September 13, 2013
Synthetic biology aims to design and build organisms to serve human ends, such as producing inexpensive biofuels and developing new kinds of medicines. But this new form of biotechnology also raises ethical questions. The concerns range from environmental and public … Read More
September 5, 2013
Synthetic biology can be hard to pin down. The field encompasses a vast array of research themes, from creating artificial life to engineering microbes to produce medicines or fuels. (Royal Society of Chemistry)
September 4, 2013
MIT researchers have shown that they can turn genes on or off inside yeast and human cells by controlling when DNA is copied into messenger RNA — an advance that could allow scientists to better understand the function of those … Read More
August 29, 2013
With synthetic biology (synbio) rapidly gaining momentum, and a landmark US Supreme Court judgment striking down an age-old biological patenting system, biotechnology companies need to incorporate open-source into their innovation plans in order to succeed in the emerging landscape, according … Read More
August 12, 2013
On July 31, Kickstarter updated its guidelines to include this sentence: “Projects cannot offer genetically modified organisms as a reward.†That seems like a small and specific ban, but there’s a lot more going on here than that suggests: this … Read More
August 9, 2013
[Interview with Craig Venter] Where are we in the hype cycle of synthetic biology? My complaint is that there are more books and news articles than there are primary scientific papers. I am probably the biggest critic of the hypesters, … Read More
