Synthetic Biology
Glowing bacteria detect diabetes, cancer in patients’ urine
A Stanford-designed project has built a startling new tool for diagnostic medicine: living biosensors made of bacteria that glow a ...
GM mosquitoes that could reduce illness in Florida Keys face public opposition
A U.K.-based company, Oxitec, has altered two genes in the Aedes aegypti mosquito so that when modified males breed with wild females, the ...
National academies move to design regulations on germline editing
The National Academies of Science (NAS) and National Academies of Medicine (NAM) have their work cut out for them as ...
Are concerns over danger of CRISPR eclipsing potential benefits?
CRISPR is causing a major upheaval in biomedical research. Unlike other gene-editing methods, it is cheap, quick and easy to ...
De-extinction aspirations walk line between noble and selfish
The conceit of Beth Shapiro's disturbing and thoughtful new book, How to Clone a Mammoth, is that it is a ...
Public discussion on germline editing vital, but what should be discussed?
Human germline genetic modification, which involves making genetic changes that will be passed on to future generations, is once again ...
Human germline gene editing too complex for black-and-white moral framing
The first day of BEINGS2015, “A Gathering of Global Thought Leaders to Reach Consensus on the Direction of Biotechnology for the ...
Microbes engineered to sniff out tumors and diabetes
Two groups of synthetic biologists seeking to repurpose living microbes for human benefit have reported genetically modifying bacteria to detect ...
Fact-checking pro-organic lobby group GMO ‘facts’, attacks on conventional agriculture
Fact-checking pro-organic lobby group Cornucopia.org's 'facts' yield surprising results ...
National Academies gear up to discuss human gene editing implications
The National Academies of Science (NAS) and National Academies of Medicine (NAM) have their work cut out for them as ...
The Asilomar conference and its lessons for the regulation of gene-editing
There is a precedent for establishing internationally agreed-upon limits for new science, though it can be hard to do. A ...
Critics decry synbio vanillin for its perceived impact on poor farmers
On its journey from the fields in Madagascar to your ice cream, sponge cake and chocolate, the vanilla plant is ...
Researchers genetically engineer E.coli bacteria to detect cancer and diabetes
In two articles published Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine, researchers reported they had equipped E. coli bacteria with ...
Three developments that will help synthetic biology live up to its promise
Using synthetic biology techniques, researchers have created everything from new flavors and fragrances to new types of biofuels and materials. While the ...
Irrational measuring stick: The Venn Diagram of pseudoscientific nonsense
The curiously revered world of irrational nonsense has seeped into almost every aspect of modern society and is both complex ...
Genetically engineered herpes virus offers hope for skin cancer treatment
In a few months time, those suffering from skin cancer may find an unlikely hero in their treatment regimen: herpes. A ...
What would a world designed with synthetic biology look like?
In a corner of Istanbul’s Design Biennial late last year, photographs of bizarre creatures sat alongside more conventional displays of ...
Genetically engineered animals with CRISPR-Cas9 edited genes are being developed
As CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology has advanced in the last few years, the number of genetically modified animals made with ...
Audio: How genetic engineering is creating flavors like vanilla, saffron and grapefruit
While the technology to evaluate the flavor molecules of a particular food have become increasingly sophisticated in the past century, ...
“Home brewed morphine” from genetically engineered yeast? What did the media get wrong?
Researchers report creating genetically engineered yeast strains that take us one step closer to producing opiates using microbes. How did ...
National Academy of Sciences seeks to set guidelines for use of CRISPR-Cas9
The National Academy of Sciences, responding to concerns expressed by scientists and ethicists, has launched an ambitious initiative to recommend ...
Should there be tighter regulations on gene editing in wildlife?
The ethical issues raised by human germline engineering are not new. They deserve consideration, but outcry over designer babies and ...
CRISPR founder fighting for patent rights to gene-editing tool
Will the University of California reap the financial rewards of CRISPR's commercial use, likely worth billions of dollars? That's the ...