Synthetic biology and molecular machines
The latest chemistry news and research on synthetic biology, including genetic engineering, biomedicine and molecular machines, from the Royal Society of Chemistry's magazine, Chemistry World
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ResearchEngineered enzymes could boost amide bond-forming efficiency for drug synthesis
Approach offers greener route to amide-containing drugs via aldehydes
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ResearchProtein design takes big leap forward as model produces enzymes almost as effective as nature’s
New iteration of RoseTTAFold Diffusion optimises side chain placing to break bonds
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ResearchBacteria tweaked to produce high yields of colour-changing pigment behind octopus camouflage
Dangled carrot of formic acid fuel drives engineered bacteria to make cephalopod dye at yields a thousand times higher than conventional means
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ResearchUltrapotent thrombin inhibitor combines peptide fragments from a trio of blood-sucking organisms
Hybrid molecule featuring leech, tsetse fly and flea peptide fragments binds thrombin at three sites
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ResearchNext generation gene editors engineered to significantly reduce error rate
Introducing mutations into DNA-snipping ‘molecular scissors’ can result in 60-fold reduction in errors
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ResearchBranched polymers protect cell mimics that can interact with biological cells
Dendritic polymers encase coacervate microdroplets, enabling them to closely mimic natural cells
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ResearchRecoded E. coli strain shows that life can function with significantly compressed genetic code
Researchers remove seven codons from E. coli’s genetic code
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ResearchAI method makes designer binders for ‘undruggable’ proteins
Technique can create molecules that target disordered regions of proteins and peptides
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NewsWhat’s the point of the Synthetic Human Genome Project?
Why are scientists working to recreate the human genome from scratch?
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NewsWellcome backing gets project to recreate human genome from scratch off the ground
Effort to synthesise human genome will likely take decades but should provide insight into disease
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BusinessCrispr Nobel laureates get another chance to claim ownership in long-running patent dispute
Jennifer Doudna and Emmanualle Charpentier could recoup patent rights to the gene-editing technology, thanks to ruling from US appeal court
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ResearchDesigner protein switches conformations like a natural one
Researchers design, produce and test a synthetic protein with a dynamic structure
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ResearchEngineered microbe could clean up persistent oil pollution hotspots
Bacterium can break down five hydrocarbon pollutants into harmless compounds
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ResearchCould ‘woolly’ mice put mammoths on the path to de-extinction?
Scepticism that mice with mammoth gene edits could ever produce a viable animal in elephants
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NewsRapid action needed to stop the UK falling behind in synthetic biology
House of Lords science committee urges government action to allow the field to flourish
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ResearchDesigner proteins to treat deadly snake bites could save thousands of lives
Small proteins can help to tackle some of the deadliest components of cobras and mambas
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ResearchComputer simulation of carbonless DNA prompt researchers to consider alternative biochemistries
Researchers swap nitrogen and boron into DNA to create analogues that are geometrically and electrostatically equivalent to conventional DNA
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NewsPause work on ‘mirror life’, recommends panel of international experts
Synthetic bacteria with chirality opposite to that of life on Earth might cause lethal infections
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OpinionThere are no life lessons to be learned in AI’s Chinese Room
There’s a lot more lab work to do before we understand the ‘language of life’
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NewsExplainer: Why have protein design and structure prediction won the 2024 Nobel prize in chemistry?
Research that has taken us from sequence to structure and back again