All Synthetic Biology articles
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NewsNew platform for the production of versatile active ingredients
With the help of a newly developed chemo-enzymatic platform, researchers have succeeded in producing a large number of different furanolides in larger quantities and characterizing their biological activity.
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NewsScientist wins research grant to create mucin-on-a-chip for IBD research
Dr. Ilana Kolodkin-Gal of the Scojen Institute for Synthetic Biology has won a research grant from the BSF-NSF to investigate the role of invasive and pathogenic strains of intestinal bacteria in disrupting the integrity of the intestinal barrier.
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NewsIUCN members choose science and ethics in landmark vote on synthetic biology
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has hailed the adoption of Motion 87, supporting the responsible, evidence-based use of synthetic biology, at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi as a historic milestone for global conservation policy.
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NewsSynthetic biology reprograms plant–microbe partnerships for resilient agriculture
By integrating engineering principles with plant biology, a new review highlights how redesigned genetic pathways and plant-based biosensors can deepen understanding of plant responses to both harmful and beneficial microbes.
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NewsRevolutionizing bioplastics: a microbial platform for fully bio-based long-chain polyesters
Researchers have developed a scalable, end-to-end microbial process transforming plant oils into sustainable polyesters comparable to petroleum-based plastics.
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NewsExpanding the genetic toolkit: nitrogen-response promoters developed for Bacillus licheniformis
Promoters are crucial expression elements in synthetic biology, and Bacillus licheniformis serves as an excellent chassis cell for industrial production, but is restricted by a lack of nitrogen source-responsive promoters.
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NewsBalance is key: Strategies to boost protein production from engineered cells
New research demonstrates how to engineer ‘cell factories’ that last longer and produce more chemicals, without needing antibiotics or complex engineering methods, paving the way for sustainable biotech that lasts.
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NewsEngineered gut bacteria improves survival outcomes in colorectal cancer tumors
A genetically modified Salmonella typhimurium strain can colonise tumours and release a therapeutic protein, LIGHT, to induce the formation of mature tertiary lymphoid structures (mTLSs) in laboratory models.
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NewsMethod probing dark matter uncovers hundreds of new bacteria, and two potential antibiotics
A new approach to exploring untapped soil resources circumvents the need to grow bacteria in the lab by extracting very large DNA fragments directly from soil to piece together the genomes of previously hidden microbes, and then mines resulting genomes for bioactive molecules.
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NewsResearch team on quest to engineer computing systems from living cells
A research team has received a $1.99 million grant to lead research on engineered bacterial consortia that could form the basis of biological computing systems. They aim to integrate microbial sensing and communication with electronic networks, paving the way for computing systems constructed from living cells instead of traditional silicon-based hardware.
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News‘Essentiality’ scan reveals microbe’s ‘must-have’ list
Researchers have spent years taking apart one of the world’s simplest microbes, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, piece by piece, and created a detailed list of what molecular parts the living cell can and cannot do without.
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News‘Controlled evolution’ dramatically boosts pDNA production for biomedical manufacturing
Researchers have controlled the evolution of E. coli bacteria in the lab in order to dramatically increase the amount of plasmid DNA (pDNA) these modified bacteria produce. pDNA is an essential – and expensive – ingredient in many gene therapies.
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NewsCommon food bacterium could help make vitamins cheaper and greener
A new study reveals how Lactococcus lactis, a common food bacterium, regulates the production of a key precursor in vitamin K₂ (menaquinone) biosynthesis. The bacteria produce enough of this precursor to support their growth while preventing toxic buildup.
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NewsAnti-neuroinflammatory natural products from isopod-related fungus now accessible via chemical synthesis
Herpotrichone is valued for its ability to suppress inflammation in the brain and protect nerve cells, but could only be obtained in minute quantities from fungi that are symbiotic with isopods. Researchers have succeeded in chemically synthesizing this rare natural product.
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NewsEngineered yeast converts methanol into valuable compound α-farnesene at scale
Farnesene, a high-value chemical intermediate, has applications in fragrance and pharmaceutical synthesis as well as aviation fuel formulations.To reduce reliance on food-based feedstocks, researchers have engineered microbial cell factories capable of utilizing methanol.
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NewsBreakthrough engineered enzyme for recycling of PET bottle and blended fibers at moderate temperatures
Researchers engineered a novel PET hydrolase PET2-21M and established large-scale production in yeast. This enzyme dramatically boosted PET bottle-grade PET breakdown, offering a promising, energy-efficient path for a circular plastics economy.
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NewsSmart bacteria could transform global agricultural food production
An interdisciplinary team are to receive almost half a million pounds to fund the development of a ‘smart bacterium’ that can dynamically reprogramme how crops respond to environmental stresses in real-time.
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NewsMicrobially synthesized bioplastic may solve marine plastic pollution problem
Researchers have demonstrated a new eco-friendly plastic that decomposes in deep ocean conditions. In a deep-sea experiment, the microbially synthesized poly(d-lactate-co-3-hydroxybutyrate) (LAHB) biodegraded, while conventional plastics persisted.
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NewsBacteria gene discovery enhances key antibiotic production for farming and medicine
Monensin is a vital antibiotic used in agriculture and medicine. By analyzing the genome of Streptomyces cinnamonensis, the team discovered that specific genes (fadD, fadE, fadB, fadA) in the fatty acid degradation pathway significantly boost monensin synthesis.
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NewsResearchers engineer a microbial platform for efficient lutein production
The application of systems metabolic engineering strategies, and construction of an electron channeling system, has enabled the first gram-per-liter scale production of lutein from Corynebacterium glutamicum, providing a viable alternative to plant-derived lutein production.