NEWS

Invitae (NYSE: NVTA), a leading genetics and synthetic biology company, and ArcherDX, a leading genomics analysis company innovating in precision oncology, today announced the companies have entered into an agreement to combine. The combined company aims to advance care for cancer patients by accelerating adoption of genetics . Integrating germline testing, tumor profiling and liquid biopsy … Read more

ArcherDX, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Device Designation for its next-generation sequencing (NGS) device under development as a companion diagnostic (CDx) to detect neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase (NTRK) gene fusions that lead to the formation and growth of cancer. ArcherDX’s NGS technology utilizes proprietary Anchored Multiplex PCR … Read more

The study of viruses once challenged the world’s notion of what is “biological,” and for a time it was unclear whether viruses were regulated by the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). Lying “at the edge of life,” viruses likely were not banned as a biological weapon until they were defined as a biological agent in 1969, … Read more

Advances in biological sciences, accelerated by computing, automation, and artificial intelligence (AI), is fueling a new wave of innovation that will impact economies and societies that will surpass the industrial revolution. In fact, these new capabilities and applications are already improving our response to global challenges from climate change to pandemics. But these innovations come … Read more

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) Research Laboratory is sponsoring a $1 million challenge for synthetic biology solutions to reduce the cost and improve the quality for aerospace thermosets. The challenge is focused on the use of biotechnology to create products or product precursors required by USAF. Interested parties must submit white papers on the viability … Read more

Earlier this year, the U.S. Government (USG) announced it will launch a competition for its ninth Manufacturing Innovation Institute (MII) led by the Department of Defense (DoD). The technical focus area for this Institute will be Synthetic Biology. Funding will be commensurate with the other DoD MIIs with similar expectations for cost-share from non-Federal sources … Read more

The emergence and spread of the COVID-19, which was declared a Public Health Emergency in the United States on January 31, 2020, has catalyzed significant activity by Federal, state, and local governments; the healthcare community; residents across the United States; and people around the world. The National Biodefense Strategy is the nation’s plan for ensuring … Read more

Assessed in January of each year, the Doomsday Clock is a symbol representation of the likelihood of a man-made global catastrophe. Maintained since 1947 by the members of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the Clock is considered a measure for threats to humanity from unchecked scientific and technical advances. The Clock represents the hypothetical … Read more

Synthetic biology is an emerging field of science, biology and engineering that defies a simple definition. It is a field of science that involves redesigning organisms for useful purposes by engineering them to have new abilities. Synthetic biology researchers and companies around the world are harnessing the power of nature to solve problems in medicine, … Read more

The rapid advances over the past few decades in biotechnologies involving somatic cells and gene therapy offer a great potential in regenerative medicine and for the treatment of genetic defects. These advances require an understanding of scientific principles as well as ethical and societal implications before these technologies can be clinically applicable. Somatic Nuclear Transfer … Read more