All Synthetic Biology articles – Page 2
-
NewsReconstructing nature’s oxindole factory: yeast-based biosynthesis of medicinal indole alkaloids
By identifying four key enzymes from a North American plant and reconstituting them in yeast, scientists have achieved complete de novo biosynthesis of complex oxindole molecules that are difficult to obtain from plants or chemical synthesis.
-
NewsEngineering yeast to make rare anticancer saponins: reconstructing the complete biosynthesis of polyphyllin II
By combining plant transcriptomics, enzyme engineering, and synthetic biology, a new study demonstrates, for the first time, the full heterologous production of polyphyllin II in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
-
NewsScientists develop new biosynthetic route to optically pure S-2-Hydroxyisovalerate
By uncovering an unexpected enzyme activity and combining it with precise metabolic engineering, scientists has transformed Escherichia coli into a microbial factory capable of producing gram-per-liter levels of optically pure S-HIV from renewable carbon sources.
-
NewsNot only toxic but also a nutrient: guanidine as a nitrogen source
Cyanobacteria are key ecological players of global carbon and nitrogen cycles. They are also becoming increasingly important for carbon-neutral biotechnology. They could serve as green cell factories for a light-driven and sustainable production of chemicals and fuels – a central pillar of the sustainable bioeconomy. Source: André Künzelmann/UFZ ...
-
NewsResearchers deploy bacteria to make healthier sugar substitute
Researchers have developed a way to biosynthetically produce an otherwise rare sugar called tagatose, which could very well provide the sweetness and natural taste of table sugar without its potential harms. It might even provide some health benefits.
-
NewsFrom palm oil to designer enzymes: researchers reprogram yeast cells
Many everyday products contain fatty acids from palm oil or coconut oil, but the extraction of these raw materials is associated with massive environmental issues. Researchers have now developed a biotechnological approach that could enable a more environmentally friendly production method.
-
NewsEngineering oncolytic bacteria as precision cancer therapeutics
A new review summarizes recent advances in the design and application of synthetic biological strategies that enhance bacterial precision, safety, and efficacy in tumor therapy.
-
NewsBacteria double as Trojan horse for artificial amino acids
Researchers have hijacked a natural transport system of the bacterium E. coli to develop a solution that allows artificial amino acids to be introduced into bacteria efficiently. This means the “amino acid toolbox” can be expanded for widespread use in medicine and the biotech industry.
-
CareersSummer studentship: Lucy creates a synthetic microbiome to study mosquito-borne diseases at different life stages
Lucy Ella Malvern reports back on her AMI-sponsored summer studentship which investigated microbiome assembly in mosquitoes across developmental stages.
-
NewsChemists synthesize a fungal compound that holds promise for treating brain cancer
For the first time, chemists have synthesized a fungal compound known as verticillin A, which was discovered more than 50 years ago and has shown potential as an anticancer agent.
-
CareersThe Future is Fungi 2025: award-winner Michroma’s mission to harness fungi for clean food dyes and flavors
Winner of The Future is Fungi Award 2025, US and Argentina-based foodtech startup Michroma is replacing petrochemical coloring with fungibased natural ingredients, launching one of the world’s leading sustainable platforms for food flavors and colors. Here’s its story.
-
NewsDiphtheria toxin fragment harnessed to fuse lipid vesicles at neutral pH
Researchers have discovered a novel way to fuse lipid vesicles at neutral pH. By harnessing a fragment of the diphtheria toxin, the team achieved vesicle membrane fusion without the need for pre-treatment or harsh conditions, opening the door to new applications.
-
NewsScientists develop world’s first modular co-culture platform for the one-pot production of rainbow-colored bacterial cellulose
The team engineered Komagataeibacter xylinus for bacterial cellulose synthesis and Escherichia coli for natural colorant overproduction. A co-culture of these engineered strains enabled the in situ coloration of bacterial cellulose.
-
NewsMicrobial teamwork slashes uranium pollution in just 48 hours
A research team has developed a synthetic microbial consortium that completely reduces soluble uranium [U(VI)] to insoluble U(IV) within 48 hours, showing nearly twice the efficiency of a single-strain system. The study reveals how Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa LXZ1 cooperate to accelerate extracellular electron transfer (EET).
-
NewsNext-generation microbiome medicine may revolutionize the treatment of Parkinson’s and similar disorders
Scientists have engineered the probiotic bacterium Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 as a drug-delivery system that continuously produces and delivers the gold-standard Parkinson’s drug Levodopa, which is converted to dopamine in the brain. E. coli Nissle strain was chosen for its century-long record of safely treating gastrointestinal disorders in humans.
-
NewsNew blueprint for nature’s carbon-capturing nanomachines revealed
Researchers have uncovered how bacterial organelles assemble, opening new routes for bioengineering and climate innovation. The team has unveiled the most detailed picture yet of how bacteria construct microscopic compartments known as carboxysomes – natural nanomachines that play a vital role in capturing and converting carbon dioxide (CO₂).
-
NewsPhages with fully-synthetic DNA can be edited gene by gene
Scientists have developed a method to construct bacteriophages with entirely synthetic genetic material, allowing researchers to add and subtract genes at will.
-
NewsResearchers reveal novel mechanisms for decoding bacterial frequency modulation in signal processing
A study reveals the fundamental physical principles underlying bacterial FM signal processing, and demonstrated that FM decoding mechanisms enable bacteria to increase information entropy by approximately 2 bits compared to traditional AM in three-gene regulatory systems.
-
NewsRODIN project will invest 10 M€ to explore cells as the architects of future biomaterials
RODIN - Cell-mediated Sculptable Living Platforms - is set to revolutionize the field of biomaterials and tissue engineering by shifting the focus from designing materials for cells to empowering cells to design their own environments.
-
NewsEngineered membraneless organelles boost bioproduction in Corynebacterium glutamicum
Scientists have successfully engineered liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS)-driven membraneless organelles (MLOs) within the food-grade industrial strain Corynebacterium glutamicum.