synthetic biology

GMO bacteria "swarmbots" are strictly constrained to their holding cell.

Science

Tales Of The Genetically Altered, Superhero Bacteria Swarmbot

3:00pm July 08, 2016

What is keeping a genetically altered super-villain bug from escaping Duke University's synthetic biology labs, and destroying humanity Holloywood-style?

A Duke University scientist has engineered genetically altered “swarmbots” that can only survive in a swarm of their own kind. And that's just the start of it all.

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Scientists Say They Hope To Create A Human Genome In The Lab

12:44pm June 03, 2016

by Rob Stein

A synthetic version of the human genetic blueprint might used for a wide range of medical research, scientists say. But it's far from reality, and comes with big ethical and safety questions.

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In 2010, scientists plopped the genetic material of one Mycoplasma bacterium into another type to create the self-replicating cells shown above. Six years later, they've come out with an even simpler synthetic organism that has fewer genes.

Scientists Build A Live, No-Frills Cell That Could Have A Big Future

5:48pm March 24, 2016

by Rae Ellen Bichell

In engineering the cell, researchers paired away nearly all genes that weren't essential to life. It might eventually serve as a basic framework for different sorts of cellular factories, they say.

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Cambrian Genomics says that what it calls a DNA printer is essentially a DNA sorter — it quickly spots and collects the desired, tailored stretch of DNA.

DNA 'Printing' A Big Boon To Research, But Some Raise Concerns

9:40pm June 17, 2015

by Rob Stein

Companies are assembling and churning out tailored stretches of DNA faster and more cheaply than ever before. The tool speeds research into diseases of plants and people. But what about eugenics?

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The vanillin made through synthetic biology will be used in flavorings sold in the U.S. by International Flavorings & Fragrances.

Science

GMOs Are Old Hat. Synthetically Modified Food Is The New Frontier

1:57pm October 10, 2014

by Eliza Barclay

Scientists hyping synthetic biology say it may one day give us biofuels, drugs and organisms that will solve hefty global problems. But synthetic biology food is already here, and causing controversy.

Biohazard suits used to handle dangerous microbes hang in a laboratory at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in Fort Detrick, Md.

Research Institutions Will Have To Identify 'Dual-Use' Pathogens

4:53pm September 24, 2014

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Scientists are deeply divided on whether lab-made flu viruses are legitimate medical research or national security threats. A new federal policy asks institutions to evaluate those risks early on.

The research team used yeast chromosome No. 3 as the model for their biochemical stitchery. Pins and white diamonds in the illustration represent "designer changes" not found in the usual No. 3; yellow stretches represent deletions.

Custom Chromo: First Yeast Chromosome Built From Scratch

7:03pm March 27, 2014

by Richard Harris

It's not about making designer beer. Johns Hopkins scientists and undergrads stitched together strands of yeast DNA as a step in exploring the essential genetics of various species: What makes us us?

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