synthetic biology

Tim Llewellyn/Copperhound Pictures / Ginkgo Bioworks

1:30pm Sep 24, 2019

Science Science Health & Safety

As Made-To-Order DNA Gets Cheaper, Keeping It Out Of The Wrong Hands Gets Harder

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Labs are churning out more and more synthetic DNA for scientists who want to use it to reprogram cells. Some say the technology has outpaced government safety guidelines put in place a decade ago.

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Olivia Falcigno/NPR

7:54pm Aug 02, 2019

Science Science Environment

Dairy Ice Cream, No Cow Needed: These Egg And Milk Proteins Are Made Without Animals

by Maria Godoy

Some startups are making synthetic versions of animal proteins for use in foods from smoothies to baked goods. The goal: to reshape the food supply without the environmental footprint of livestock.

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Julia Ritchey/KUER

11:57am Mar 08, 2019

Science Science Health & Safety

A Gulp Of Genetically Modified Bacteria Might Someday Treat A Range Of Illnesses

by Rob Stein

Researchers think genetically engineered versions of microbes that can live in humans could help treat some rare genetic disorders and perhaps help with Type 1 diabetes, cirrhosis and cancer.

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Dr. Hans Gelderblom / Visuals Unlimited/Getty Images

4:44pm Jun 19, 2018

Science Science Health & Safety

Report For Defense Department Ranks Top Threats From 'Synthetic Biology'

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

A committee of experts examined about a dozen different synthetic biology technologies that could be potentially misused. For each, they considered how likely it was to be usable as a weapon.

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Chris Bjornberg / Science Source

1:05pm Feb 17, 2018

National National Science Environment Health & Safety

Did Pox Virus Research Put Potential Profits Ahead of Public Safety?

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Privately funded scientists made a virus related to smallpox from scratch, hoping their version might lead to a better smallpox vaccine. But critics question the need — and worry about repercussions.

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Gary Bates / Ikon Images/Getty Images

6:25pm Nov 29, 2017

National National Science Health & Safety

Scientists Train Bacteria To Build Unnatural Proteins

by Richard Harris

Bacteria engineered with an expanded genetic alphabet can produce novel proteins, which could lead to the development of new drugs.

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Courtesy of Northwestern University

5:15pm Mar 28, 2017

National National Science Health & Safety

Device Mimicking Female Reproductive Cycle Could Aid Research

by Rob Stein

Scientists have assembled a lab system from living tissue that can replicate a woman's 28-day hormonal cycle. The goal is to use the system to find new ways to treat a host of women's health problems.

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Courtesy of Rockefeller University

8:01am Mar 21, 2017

National National Science Health & Safety

Harvard Scientists Call For Better Rules To Guide Research On 'Embryoids'

by Rob Stein

Some recent studies in synthetic biology, they say, raise new questions about the ethical limits of creating entities that might feel pain or resemble human embryos — or mimic humans in other ways.
John Joyner

1:00pm Oct 28, 2016

Science Science

Invasion Of The Molecular Math Robots

With great complexity, we manufacture things like jet airplanes, interplanetary probes, medical tools, and microprocessors. We build with a top-down approach, starting with a big picture concept which we then design and assemble in pieces.

Duke University professor of computer sciences, Dr. John Reif, notes that nature works from the bottom up to assemble complex structures in three dimensions. He and his lab are working on that.

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Duke Engineering

3:00pm Jul 08, 2016

Science Science

Tales Of The Genetically Altered, Superhero Bacteria Swarmbot

What is keeping a genetically altered super-villain bug from escaping Duke University’s synthetic biology labs, and destroying humanity Holloywood-style?

A Duke University scientist has engineered genetically altered “swarmbots” that can only survive in a swarm of their own kind. And that's just the start of it all.

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Scott Tysick / Getty Images

12:44pm Jun 03, 2016

National National Science Health & Safety

Scientists Say They Hope To Create A Human Genome In The Lab

by Rob Stein

A synthetic version of the human genetic blueprint might used for a wide range of medical research, scientists say. But it's far from reality, and comes with big ethical and safety questions.

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Thomas Deerinck, NCMIR / Science Source

5:48pm Mar 24, 2016

National National Science Health & Safety

Scientists Build A Live, No-Frills Cell That Could Have A Big Future

by Rae Ellen Bichell

In engineering the cell, researchers paired away nearly all genes that weren't essential to life. It might eventually serve as a basic framework for different sorts of cellular factories, they say.

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