Synthetic Biology News and Research

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Tiny device with engineered cells acts as internal drug factory

A multi-institutional team of scientists, co-led by Northwestern University, has taken a crucial step toward implantable "living pharmacies" - tiny devices containing engineered cells that continuously produce medicines inside the body.

27 Mar 2026

University of Chicago and IDefine launch research program to develop Kleefstra syndrome treatment

The University of Chicago Department of Chemistry, in partnership with the advocacy organization IDefine – The Kleefstra Syndrome Foundation, is launching a targeted research program to develop a new potential therapeutic strategy for Kleefstra syndrome (KLEFS).

26 Mar 2026

Study identifies protein that slows cartilage breakdown in joints

Osteoarthritis, a condition that causes pain and reduced mobility in joints such as the knees and fingers, is one of the most common joint disorders worldwide, particularly among aging populations.

23 Mar 2026

Scientists simulate complete life cycle of a minimal bacterial cell

By simulating the life cycle of a minimal bacterial cell - from DNA replication to protein translation to metabolism and cell division - scientists have opened a new frontier of computer vision into the essential processes of life.

9 Mar 2026

Microbial ecosystems influence success of cancer checkpoint immunotherapy

Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting PD-1 and PD-L1 have revolutionized cancer therapy, delivering long-term survival benefits in several malignancies.

9 Mar 2026

New optovolution technique uses light to guide protein evolution

Evolution is biology's powerful method of engineering. It works by generating many variants of DNA, RNA, and proteins inside cells and letting nature "select" the organism that performs best.

6 Mar 2026

Modified Clostridium sporogenes shows promise in targeting solid tumors

A research team led by the University of Waterloo is developing a novel tool to treat cancer by engineering hungry bacteria to literally eat tumors from the inside out.

24 Feb 2026

Innate immune priming may evolve into a broadly applicable infection-prevention strategy

Secondary infections caused by bacteria or viruses during hospital care remain a long-standing global challenge, despite advances in modern medicine.

16 Feb 2026

Engineered enzyme enables fast and accurate RNA synthesis

From vaccines and diagnostics to emerging gene-based therapies, RNA molecules are now central to modern medicine.

9 Feb 2026

Resurrected ancient enzyme reveals early life processes and astrobiological biosignatures

By resurrecting a 3.2-billion-year-old enzyme and studying it inside living microbes, researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have created a new way to improve our understanding of the origins of life on Earth and possibly recognize signs of life elsewhere.

23 Jan 2026

Nuclera eProtein Discovery System installed at leading universities in Taiwan

Nuclera, the biotechnology company accelerating drug discovery by providing rapid, easy access to functional proteins through its benchtop eProtein Discovery™ System, today announced that it has completed the first installations of eProtein Discovery in Asia, with systems now operational at the Department of Pharmacy and the Department of Chemistry at the National Taiwan University (NTU) College of Medicine and the Center for Bioscience and Biotechnology and Department of Chemical Engineering at the National Cheng Kung University (NCKU).

7 Jan 2026

A mathematical solution for precise control of cellular “noise”

Why does cancer sometimes recur after chemotherapy? Why do some bacteria survive antibiotic treatment? In many cases, the answer appears to lie not in genetic differences, but in biological noise - random fluctuations in molecular activity that occur even among genetically identical cells.

2 Jan 2026

Vibration-induced local vortices enable low-cost biomolecular condensate engineering

A research group led by Professor Hiroaki SUZUKI and Takeshi HAYAKAWA from the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Chuo University, graduate student Zhitai HUANG, graduate students Kanji KANEKO (at the time) and Ryotaro YONEYAMA (at the time), together with Specially Appointed Assistant Professor Tomoya MARUYAMA from the Research Center for Autonomous Systems Materialogy (ASMat), Institute of Integrated Research (IIR), Institute of Science Tokyo, and Professor Masahiro TAKINOUE from the Laboratory for Chemistry and Life Science, Institute of Integrated Research, Institute of Science Tokyo, has developed a novel and highly accessible technology for producing uniform Biomolecular Condensates using a simple, low-cost vibration platform.

22 Dec 2025

External signals control oncolytic bacteria for precise cancer therapy delivery

Engineered oncolytic bacteria have emerged as a promising therapeutic platform for precision cancer treatment, offering tumor-specific colonization, immune activation, and controllable therapeutic delivery. This review summarizes recent advances in the design and application of synthetic biological strategies that enhance bacterial precision, safety, and efficacy in tumor therapy.

13 Dec 2025

Study provides new insights into brain signaling during sleep and wakefulness

An international team led by the University of Michigan has introduced new methods that reveal which regions of the brain were active throughout the day with single-cell resolution.

10 Dec 2025

CRISPR-based Cellgorithm technology ushers in a new era of cell programming

Syntax Bio, a synthetic biology company programming the next generation of cell therapies, today announced the publication of new research in Science Advances detailing the company's CRISPR-based Cellgorithm technology, which lays the groundwork for programmable control of gene activity in human stem cells and offers an alternative to the slow, variable manual processes researchers use today.

5 Dec 2025

Unraveling the mycobiome's role in cancer

A growing body of evidence indicates that the microbiome within the gut and tumors significantly influences cancer initiation, progression, and treatment response.

25 Nov 2025

CRISPR-edited fungus boosts protein production and cuts environmental impact

In a new study publishing November 19 in the Cell Press journal Trends in Biotechnology, researchers used a gene-editing technology called CRISPR to increase a fungus's production efficiency and cut its production-related environmental impact by as much as 61%-all without adding any foreign DNA.

21 Nov 2025

Condensate-based strategy protects synthetic gene circuits across cell generations

Genetic engineers can design and assemble sophisticated gene circuits to program cells with new functions, but important signaling molecules can become diluted as these cells grow and divide, causing the synthetic gene circuits to lose their new functions.

7 Nov 2025

Machine learning advances human-centric drug toxicity prediction

In the UK, there was a case where TGN1412, an immunotherapy under development, triggered a cytokine storm within hours of administration to humans, leading to multiple organ failure.

7 Nov 2025