Synthetic Biology tagged posts

Human lifespan is related to the aging of our individual cells. Three years ago a group of University of California San Diego researchers deciphered essential mechanisms behind the aging process. After identifying two distinct directions that cells follow during aging, the researchers genetically manipulated these processes to extend the lifespan of cells.

As described in a new article published April 27, 2023, in Science, the team has now extended this research using synthetic biology to engineer a solution that keeps cells from reaching their normal levels of deterioration associated with aging.

Cells, including those of yeast, plants, animals and humans, all contain gene regu...

Alexander A. Green, Jongmin Kim, Duo Ma, Pamela A. Silver, James J. Collins, Peng Yin. Complex cellular logic computation using ribocomputing devices. Nature, 2017; DOI: 10.1038/nature23271

The interdisciplinary nexus of biology and engineering, known as synthetic biology, is growing at a rapid pace, opening new vistas that could scarcely be imagined a short time ago. In new research, Alex Green, a professor at ASU’s Biodesign Institute, demonstrates how living cells can be induced to carry out computations in the manner of tiny robots or computers...

Synthetic biowire are making an electrical connection between two electrodes. Researchers led by microbiologist Derek Lovely at UMass Amherst say the wires, which rival the thinnest wires known to man, are produced from renewable, inexpensive feedstocks and avoid the harsh chemical processes typically used to produce nanoelectronic materials. Credit: UMass Amherst

A genetically designed strain of bacteria spins out very thin and highly conductive wires made up of solely of non-toxic, natural amino acids. Researchers led by microbiologist Derek Lovely say the wires, which rival the thinnest wires known to man, are produced from renewable, inexpensive feedstocks and avoid the harsh chemical processes typically used to produce nanoelectronic materials...