Biologically Inspired Engineering, synbio, synthetic biology, crispr
Staff 
Changes that affect the structure of chromosomes can cause problems with growth, development, and function in all living systems. This is because changes can affect many genes along the chromosome and disrupt the proteins made from those genes. Structural changes can occur during the formation of egg or sperm cells (germline), in early fetal development, … Read more
NASA is investigating two potential applications of synthetic biology—one to advance nutrition and one to increase in-space manufacturing capabilities. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station receive regular resupply shipments from Earth, providing them with nutritious food during their expeditions. Future astronauts on the journey to Mars will be much farther away, outside the reach of … Read more
In October 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two blood tests, known as liquid biopsies, that can help guide treatment decisions for people with cancer. The tests, Guardant360 CDx and FoundationOne Liquid CDx, are made by different companies and were approved separately. Doctors have traditionally based treatment decisions on features like the organ … Read more
Proteins, which are the workhorses of the cell, are made up of long, interconnected strings of amino acids that fold into a wide variety of 3D shapes. Understanding the precise shape of a protein facilitates efforts to figure out its function, its potential role in a disease, and even how to target it with therapies. … Read more
The DNA Data Storage Alliance, an organization of more than 25 leading companies formed by Twist Bioscience Corporation, Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN) and Western Digital together with Microsoft Research, today announced its first white paper titled “Preserving our Digital Legacy: An Introduction to DNA Data Storage.” The white paper, which can be found on the … Read more
American taxpayers contribute over $150 billion each year to scientific research. Through entities like the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Energy’s National Labs, taxpayers fund innovations that contribute to national security and innovation. America built this successful research enterprise on certain values: reciprocity, integrity, merit-based competition, and transparency. … Read more
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Lumakras (sotorasib) as the first treatment for adult patients with non-small cell lung cancer whose tumors have a specific type of genetic mutation called KRAS G12C and who have received at least one prior systemic therapy. This is the first approved targeted therapy for tumors with any … Read more
Synthetic biology’s potential was on display for the first time at a national level when the mRNA vaccine was developed in a matter of weeks after the COVID genome was sequenced. The emerging field of machine learning is rife with potential, as it allows scientists to design biological systems to specification, such as engineering a … Read more
Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized marketing of the GI Genius, the first device that uses artificial intelligence (AI) based on machine learning to assist clinicians in detecting lesions (such as polyps or suspected tumors) in the colon in real time during a colonoscopy. The GI Genius is composed of hardware … Read more
Zymergen, an Emeryville, California–based synthetic biotechnology firm, recently raised $500 million in an initial public offering (IPO) of stock on the NASDAQ exchange that values the 8-year-old company at over $3 billion. Four months ago, Zymergen launched its first product, Hyaline, a polymer film for electronic displays that it developed with Sumitomo Chemical. Zymergen makes … Read more