Synthetic Biology: Recent Trends & Research

In Depth 23 Dec 2020

Humble Beginnings: The Origin Story of Modern Biotechnology

The history of modern biotechnology began around four decades ago with the invention of genetic engineering. Genentech, one of the fundamental companies in this field, set many trends for modern biotech companies today. Biotechnology doesn’t necessarily involve labs. In fact, humans have been using forms of biotechnology for millennia, for example, using fermentation to brew […]

December 23, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

In Depth 7 Dec 2020

Are We Still Friends? What Brexit Means for UK Synthetic Biology

Synthetic biology is one of the big strengths of UK science, but can the country uphold its vantage point after Brexit, without the support of the EU? (Disclaimer: At the time of writing, no deal has been made between the UK and the EU following Brexit. This intrepid writer is an Irish citizen who made […]

December 7, 2020 - 8 minutesmins - By David Kirk

News and Trends 15 May 2020

Synthetic Biology Could Lead to Clean Energy Using Light and Carbon Dioxide

Researchers in Germany and France have combined synthetic biology with microfluidics to create artificial photosynthetic droplets, which could lead to the production of organic chemicals and clean fuels that is more efficient than nature can achieve alone. In a study recently published in Science, the research team developed an automated way to produce artificial versions […]

May 15, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By David Kirk

dna synthesis synthetic biology cambridge

News and Trends 6 Feb 2020

Camena Bioscience Hits DNA Synthesis Milestone

Camena Bioscience has achieved a significant DNA synthesis milestone by reproducing the DNA sequence of a whole plasmid, which could be used in synthetic biology applications such as protein production and bacterial engineering. DNA synthesis is a field that, until recently, had not been a focus for companies developing innovative technologies, with greater importance being […]

February 6, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By External Contributor

In Depth 7 Jan 2020

A Different Culture Shaping Synthetic Biology in Europe

Synthetic biology research is strong in Europe, but the region has much to learn from the US when it comes to commercial translation, attracting investment and liaising with regulators. Europe’s synthetic biology scene is on the cusp of maturity. European teams dominated many areas in the overgraduate category at the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) […]

January 7, 2020 - 8 minutesmins - By David Kirk

dna data storage self replicating machine

News and Trends 9 Dec 2019

Scientists Use DNA Data Storage to Hide Information in Everyday Objects

Scientists have developed a method for storing DNA data in 3D-printed objects, which could one day allow machines to replicate themselves. The group, based at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, as well as in Israel and the US, began by synthesizing DNA molecules that encode blueprints of the Stanford bunny, a rabbit-shaped object commonly used in testing […]

December 9, 2019 - 4 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 24 Oct 2019

British AI Firm Gets €9M Boost to Develop Drug-Discovery Tech

London-based LabGenius has secured €8.9M in Series A funding, which the company plans to use to scale up its AI- and robotics-based drug development technology. LabGenius focuses on developing protein-based therapeutics using its ‘robot scientist’ EVA. “By transforming how these drugs are discovered, we have a shot at improving the lives of countless people,” said […]

October 24, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

More News! 16 May 2019

UK Scientists Open Bacterial Genome Up to Making Artificial Proteins

A research group from the University of Cambridge has created bacteria with less complexity in their genome, which could free up DNA code for producing synthetic proteins never before seen in nature. There are lots of redundancies in the DNA code, meaning there is sometimes more than one DNA sequence that can result in the […]

May 16, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

Startup Scout 12 Apr 2019

This Biotech Writes Long DNA Molecules From Scratch

Writing long stretches of DNA is difficult and expensive. The Austrian biotech Ribbon Biolabs is combining automation with enzymes to make the process easier, with the prospect of improving synthetic biology applications. Mission: To synthesize DNA molecules with a length of up to 10,000 base pairs (the building blocks of DNA). This target is five […]

April 12, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

Interview 20 Mar 2019

Unlocking the Potential of Fast DNA Synthesis

While the price and speed of reading DNA have dropped massively, writing DNA fast and affordably still remains a challenge. Philip talked to Sylvain Gariel, COO of the French company DNA Script, who strives to reinvent DNA synthesis. DNA has become a basic necessity in any biology lab. Thanks to new technologies we can now […]

March 20, 2019 - 4 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández

Bioplastics feature update biopolymer header

In Depth 14 Jan 2019

Life in Bioplastic, it’s More Fantastic

Plastic is the staple material of modern life, and a sustainable future will need bioplastics. What is biotech doing to make this happen? “What do you include in bioplastics? Because bioplastics is a very large word,” commented Emmanuel Maille, formerly Director of Strategy and Development at French chemical company Carbios, which focuses on developing biobased […]

January 14, 2019 - 10 minutesmins - By Denise Neves Gameiro

Ryan Cawood Oxford Genetics interview header2

Interview 10 Jan 2019

How to Scale up in Biotech

Scaling up is a problem a lot of biotechs find difficult, both in terms of developing from a small startup to a larger company and also in terms of manufacturing techniques and products. Ryan Cawood, CEO of Oxford Genetics is someone who has tackled both these issues during the last seven years. At our last […]

January 10, 2019 - 9 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

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