Synthetic Biology
Quest to colonize space demands boost from biotechnology, synthetic biology
The lack of technology for such sustainable life support systems is a major factor underlying criticism of human space exploration ...
Older mini-brains could boost study of autism, schizophrenia
[Sergiu Paşca, a neuroscientist at Stanford University] has joined other researchers in growing little balls of human brain tissue, about ...
Far out: Could psychedelics fight ‘treatment-resistant’ depression?
Given existing antidepressants don’t work for many people, the excitement surrounding the development of a new class of treatments from ...
Doubts emerge about first ‘successfully cured’ CRISPR gene-edited human embryos
Doubts have surfaced about a landmark paper claiming that human embryos were cleared of a deadly mutation using genome editing ...
Did life originate ‘naturally’ or are we a cosmic mistake?
Understanding the origin of life is arguably one of the most compelling quests for humanity. This quest has inevitably moved ...
Making leather without animals: Genetically engineered leather made from modified yeast is here
The whole leather industry, based as it is on animal hides, is vulnerable these days to sensibilities about the relationship ...
Biofabrication: Using living organisms to make every day products, from shoes to silk
Biofabrication [is] the science of using living organisms to build with biology and make everyday products. For the first time, ...
Lab-created virus-free gene-edited piglets could mark breakthrough of pig-human organ transplants
Researchers in the US have created gene-edited piglets that are free of viruses that could be harmful to humans. This ...
Could astronaut urine be the key to safer space travel?
Yeast strains of Yarrowia lipolytica that naturally like to feed on urine have been bioengineered to produce omega-3 fatty acids, which are ...
Safer prenatal genetic tests: Fetal cells using antibody-coated chip
Every pregnant woman who has considered getting a prenatal genetic test is familiar with the dilemma: Amniocentesis and chorionic villus ...
Crippling costs blunt potential of drugs harvested from living cells
Biologics are drugs grown in living cells, rather than produced through chemical reactions. They can be incredibly effective, but are ...
Micro RNA: Genetic suppression might control insect-borne diseases and limit pesticide use
New methods of controlling mosquitos without chemicals include releasing sterile males, spreading confusing pheromones and, most recently, disrupting egg development ...
Cerebral organoids: How can we know if cells collected as ‘mini-brains’ are conscious?
[Editor's note: Mike Klymkowsky is a Professor of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology at the University of Colorado Boulder.] The ...
‘Supercharged’ T-cells could treat autoimmune disorders
Researchers in both academia and industry are turning to immune-suppressing cells to clamp down on autoimmune disorders, and the effort is building ...
Life’s DNA blueprint: Rewriting yeast genome could help design better drugs and improve stem cell therapy
Scientists have long been able to make specific changes in the DNA code. Now, they’re taking the more radical step ...
Beneficial ‘natural’ gene mutation could be effective in treating sickle cell
Sickle cell disease (SCD) patients have a genetic defect that leads them to produce hemoglobin S, or sickle hemoglobin, instead of ...
3D printed brain-like tissue made from stem cells offers hope to address neurological disorders
Scientists in Australia have used a 3D printer to create nerve cells found in the brain using a special bio-ink ...
US national security advisors map plans to counter rogue gene drives
The JASONs, a group of elite scientists that advises the US government on national security, has weighed in on issues ranging from cyber security to renewing America’s nuclear arsenal ...
Gene therapy leukemia treatments approval expected by end of 2017
The approval of gene therapy for leukemia, expected in the next few months, will open the door to a radically ...
CRISPR red flag? Gene drives may not always work as advertised
A genetic-engineering tool designed to spread through a population like wildfire — eradicating disease and even whole invasive species — ...
Genetically modified ‘super-algae’ combats global-warming-caused coral bleaching
Rachel Levin from The University of New South Wales, Australia and her international team of researchers may have found a solution ...
GMOs being used to clean up heavy metal pollution
Environmental contamination with heavy metals is often the result of various types of industrial processes. Because heavy metals can be ...
Are transfusions of ‘young blood’ the answer to longer, healthier lives?
The blood of young animals, it seems, may be able to ameliorate at least some of the effects of ageing ...
‘Mosquito factory’ churns out sterile males produced without genetic modification to fight Zika
100,000 live mosquitoes, all male, all incapable of producing offspring [are released daily in Fresno, California]. … Though counterintuitive, the ...
Gene research opens doors to drug treatments to confront the ‘fine-tuned’ malaria parasite
The single-cell parasite [malaria] has been estimated to have caused the death of almost half of the world’s population since ...
Milk without cows, eggs without chickens? Synthetic biology could lead to more sustainable food
[Editor's note: The following is a Q&A with Swedish bio-hacker Hannes Sjoblad.] Bio-hacking applies technology in innovative ways to modify biological systems ...
First gene-edited cloned dog may open gates to more cloning and help fight human diseases
Last week, Beijing-based biotech company Sinogene introduced Longlong to the world, a cute beagle puppy that is the first dog ...