Synthetic Biology News and Research

RSS

Scientists develop synthetic biology-inspired materials systems

Scientists from the University of Freiburg have developed materials systems that are composed of biological components and polymer materials and are capable of perceiving and processing information.

19 Jul 2018

Researchers develop novel approach to bridge gap in cell-free systems

Engineering cellular biology, minus the actual cell, is a growing area of interest in biotechnology and synthetic biology.

13 Jul 2018

ABPI associated with NHS for 70 years in pharmaceutical research

In this special year, both the NHS and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry are celebrating our respective 70th anniversaries. The histories of these two organizations have been inextricably linked since 1948 and our relationship with the NHS continues to go from strength to strength.

25 Jun 2018

Increasing biodefense risks posed by synthetic biology

A US Department of Defense commissioned study has found that there are several genetic-engineering tools that could be used to devise biological weapons in a short amount of time.

19 Jun 2018

Customising T-cells for cancer immunotherapy

T-cell immunotherapy is revolutionizing cancer treatments. CD8+ T cells are modified to recognize tumor-specific antigens and induce an immune response.

12 Jun 2018

Altering bacteria’s genetic code may pave way for long-lasting drugs, shows study

By altering the genetic code in bacteria, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have demonstrated a method to make therapeutic proteins more stable, an advance that would improve the drugs' effectiveness and convenience, leading to smaller and less frequent doses of medicine, lower health care costs and fewer side effects for patients with cancer and other diseases.

5 Jun 2018

Scientists develop new method to speed up genome evolution of baker's yeast

Scientists have created a new way of speeding up the genome evolution of baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the same yeast people use for bread and beer production, to develop a synthetic yeast strain that can be transformed on demand for use in various industrial applications.

26 May 2018

CRISPR-Cas9-based strategy allows researchers to precisely alter hundreds of different genes

Geneticists have been using model organisms ranging from the house mouse to the single-cell bakers' yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, to study basic biological processes that regulate human development and physiology, and that can be compromised in various diseases.

22 May 2018

Scripps Research professor wins 2018 RSC Bioorganic Chemistry Award

Floyd Romesberg, PhD, professor at The Scripps Research Institute, has won the 2018 Royal Society of Chemistry Bioorganic Chemistry Award for his ground-breaking contributions to the expansion of the genetic alphabet.

9 May 2018

BIO announces programming information for gene editing and synthetic biology at 2018 World Congress

The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) today announced programming information for gene editing and synthetic biology at the 2018 World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology.

28 Apr 2018

New optogenetic tools show promise in treating cardiovascular, neuropsychiatric disorders

You've heard of "nature versus nurture," and philosophers argue about which is more important. But how does this work on the cellular level?

27 Apr 2018

Researchers develop new technique to study self-assembling virus shell

Northwestern Engineering researchers have developed a new way to manipulate a virus shell that self-assembles from proteins and holds promise as a carrier for disease detection, drug delivery, and vaccinations.

11 Apr 2018

Tradeshow Talks with Synthace

Sean Ward, CTO of Synthace, tells us why they are at Analytica 2018.

10 Apr 2018

Novel technology platform for custom designing bacteriophages

Bacteriophages, known informally as phages, are viruses that can attack and kill specific bacteria. They occur everywhere in the natural world. Precisely because they are matched to just one specific type of bacteria, researchers and medics hope that phages can be engineered to combat certain bacterial infections.

7 Feb 2018

Next-generation ‘active genetics’ tool opens new horizons

In 2015, University of California San Diego biologists Ethan Bier and Valentino Gantz developed a breakthrough technology known as "active genetics," which results in parents transmitting a genetic trait to most of their offspring (instead of 50 percent receiving the trait under standard inheritance).

6 Feb 2018

Detailed phenotypic information on resistance genes can guide future drug development

The genes that are able to equip bacteria with resistance to clinically used antibiotics have been found in many different natural environments. Nevertheless, a functional overview of the resistance genes found in common human bacterial pathogens has been missing so far.

6 Feb 2018