All Synthetic Biology articles
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NewsScientists offer user manual for yeast’s genetic switches
Scientists have found three gene regulation design principles that provide a flexible guideline for the effective control of microbiological production using yeast.
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NewsResearchers call for global discussion about possible risks from ‘mirror bacteria’
A group of researchers has published new findings on potential risks from the development of mirror bacteria — synthetic organisms in which all molecules have reversed chirality (i.e. are ‘mirrored’).
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NewsScientists engineer new enzyme to produce synthetic genetic material
Researchers have engineered an efficient new enzyme that can produce a synthetic genetic material called threose nucleic acid. The ability to synthesize artificial chains of TNA advances the discovery of therapeutic options to treat cancer and other diseases.
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NewsPeptide acts as molecular shield to prevent SARS-CoV-2 from infecting cells
The synthetic peptide was inspired by ACE2, the protein to which the virus that causes COVID-19 binds to invade human cells. The results point to a route for the development of novel antivirals.
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NewsStudy probes industrial scale lactoferrin production with synthetic biological systems
A new study explores the innovative technologies developed to increase lactoferrin production in order to meet market demand in food, pharma, and cosmetics.
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NewsScientists team up to create synthetic process for antibiotic drug discovery
Researchers will team up to explore and develop a novel platform or chemical process for synthesizing antibiotic compounds, thanks to a $125,000 grant.
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NewsMicrobe dietary preferences influence the effectiveness of carbon sequestration in the deep ocean
The movement of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the surface of the ocean to the deep ocean depends on a number of seemingly small processes - including the dietary preferences of bacteria that feed on organic molecules called lipids.
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NewsComputer-aided biology can be deployed to develop tailored microbe communities
Researchers inspired by natural lichens want to develop the microbial networking manifested here as an example for future applications, as a contribution toward establishing interdisciplinary methods and technologies for CO2-negative processes.
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NewsUC Santa Barbara to lead $22M NSF-funded center on exceptional microbes
UC Santa Barbara, UC Riverside, and Cal Poly Pomona receive a six-year, $22 million grant to establish a first-of-its-kind BioFoundry that focuses on largely untapped and unexplored extreme microbes.
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NewsBreakthrough in the synthesis of fungal bioactive compounds for therapeutic applications
Researchers have developed an efficient method to synthesize eutyscoparol A and violaceoid C, two promising bioactive compounds that are produced by fungi.
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NewsIt’s not just humans — bacteria have memory too
Beneficial bacteria — used in probiotics and biological pest control to fight harmful bacteria — possess memory, and even pass information on to future generations.
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NewsUse of synthetic microbial communities has stalled - but we can get moving again
Use of synthetic microbial communities outside the lab is rare - but a more systematic approach could improve confidence in their long-term behaviour and address ethical considerations. Source: Sarah Keetch and Alex Fedorec That’s the message from a review of the field by scientists at University College ...
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NewsSynthetic biology reveals the secrets of life without oxygen
Long before photosynthesis brought free oxygen into the world, the earth was already populated by numerous organisms. Oxygen was life-threatening for them and therefore they developed completely different metabolic pathways to those we know from plants, animals and humans. Source: Gulimila Shabuer / Leibniz-HKI and EMZ Jena Scanning ...
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NewsResearchers develop new way for beneficial microbes to survive extreme conditions and space exploration
The team’s formulations allow microbial therapeutics to maintain their potency and function over time despite extreme temperatures, harsh manufacturing processes, and radiation exposure.
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NewsExperts identify hazards of AI research for engineering biology
Hazards posed by using data-centric methods to engineer biology have been identified by experts with the aim of making future research safer.
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NewsUncovering ‘Blockbuster T cells’ in the gut wins major prize
Kazuki Nagashima developed a method with which to zero in on individual gut bacterium’s impacts on T cells. His work showed that – contrary to what has been thought – some T cells in the gut can interact with multiple bacteria.
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NewsFunctional predictability of universal gene circuits in diverse microbial hosts
By developing a quantitative framework to explore the universality and reliability of biological parts in non-model organisms, the team characterized universal genetic parts in four microbial hosts that can be used to build biological circuits in living cells.
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NewsNovel method for synthesis of coral-derived compound offers hope for non-toxic fouling agents
Researchers have developed a novel total synthesis method for scabrolide F, a natural compound derived from corals, and revealed its antifouling properties.
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NewsCaffeine-degrading microbes could tackle coffee pollution - and produce valuable pharmaceutical compounds
Caffeine-degrading microbes could offer vital bioremediation services as well as upcycling coffee waste into valuable pharmaceutical compounds, a new review suggests.
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NewsLiving bioelectronic device monitors and manages psoriasis in mice
Coupling skin bacteria-laden hydrogel and electronics, researchers have introduced a bioelectronics system that can deliver management and adaptive treatment of skin inflammation. They test this approach in a mouse model of psoriasis.
