Subject
13 entries
Synthetic Biology
Bookmarks
Biological Circuit Design: Caltech Textbook
A web-based textbook on biological circuit design by Michael Elowitz and Justin Bois (Caltech) — covering genetic circuits, feedback mechanisms, oscillatory dynamics, and developmental patterning with Python exercises. The quantitative foundation for understanding living systems as engineerable circuits.
New DNA Construct Can Set Off a "Mutagenic Chain Reaction"
Ars Technica on the first demonstration of a CRISPR-based gene drive — a genetic construct that can spread a modification through an entire wild population. One of the most consequential biotechnology developments of 2015, with ecological and ethical implications that are still being worked out.
Biological Computer: Stanford's Genetic Transistors Turn Cells into Computers
Stanford researchers created genetic transistors that turn living cells into biological computers — RNA-based logic gates that implement Boolean operations inside E. coli. A 2013 milestone in synthetic biology demonstrating programmable cellular computation.
This Protein Could Change Biotech Forever
Matthew Herper's early Forbes coverage of Cas9 — written just nine months after the landmark Doudna/Charpentier Science paper and weeks after Feng Zhang showed it worked in human cells. One of the first mass-market articles to call CRISPR a potential forever-change for biotech.
Engineering Cells for More Efficient Biofuel Production
Science Daily on engineering yeast and bacterial cells to redirect metabolic flux toward biofuel production — specifically harnessing mitochondria as biochemical factories. Part of the 2013 wave of metabolic engineering breakthroughs.
How to Turn Living Cells into Computers
Nature News on engineering biological logic gates inside living cells using DNA — making cells that compute Boolean operations. The 2013 moment when biocomputing moved from theory to demonstration.
BamH1.com: Bleeding Edge Bio/Tech News for Nerds
BamH1.com — a 'bleeding edge bio/tech news for nerds' aggregator site. The name is a molecular biology pun: BamHI is a restriction enzyme from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, used ubiquitously in cloning. A niche but well-positioned site for the biohacker/biotech audience.
DIY Bioprinter Lets Wannabe Scientists Build Structures From Living Cells
Wired's coverage of a DIY bioprinter at BioCurious, the Sunnyvale community biology lab — a modified inkjet that deposits living cells to build tissue-like structures. A 2013 glimpse of the Maker movement crossing into synthetic biology.
Desktop Genetics Design Competition Brief
Desktop Genetics' 2013 design competition brief — an early-stage biotech company building software tools for genome editing. Interesting artifact from the pre-mainstream CRISPR moment when genome engineering was transitioning from academic to startup territory.
If You Read Only One Book About the Future of Biology, This Should Be It
io9's recommendation of George Church and Ed Regis's 'Regenesis' as the essential book on the future of biology — saved with 'in for one' indicating intent to read. Church's vision of reading and writing genomes to re-engineer life itself.
MIT Team Builds Most Complex Synthetic Biology Circuit
Christopher Voigt's MIT team built the most complex synthetic genetic circuit to date — integrating four molecular sensors that can simultaneously monitor glucose, pH, temperature, and solute concentration. The breakthrough was eliminating crosstalk between biological components that had previously limited circuit complexity.
New Software Makes Synthesizing DNA As Easy As Drag and Drop
Singularity Hub on new software making DNA design as simple as drag-and-drop icons — a 2012 snapshot of the movement to democratize genetic engineering through better tooling. If DNA synthesis software follows the CAD-to-CAM trajectory, biological programming becomes accessible far beyond PhD labs.
DNA Drawing with an Old Twist
Nature News on using DNA as a drawing medium, revisiting the 'DNA origami' technique pioneered by Paul Rothemund in 2006. DNA's programmable base-pairing makes it a surprisingly precise nanoscale construction material.