All Synthetic biology articles
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ResearchBioelectric bacteria-powered sensor detects water contaminants in real time
Synthetic biology harnessed to detect endocrine disruptor and thiosulfate
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Research
Artificially expanded genetic alphabet evolves enzymes for the first time
Libraries of short DNA sequences incorporating synthetic nucleotides perform better as enzymes than ordinary DNA
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Careers
Carving out a career as an amateur scientist
Lacking a degree has not stopped Sebastian Cocioba making waves in the world of biotechnology
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Research
Diverse pharmaceutical building blocks prepared with evolved enzymes
Computation guides enzyme evolution to produce high-value drug compounds
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Research
NMR spectroscopy used to guide evolution of better enzymes
Identifying mutagenic ‘hotspots’ could speed development of new proteins
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Opinion
Nobel vision
Looking beyond the here-and-now let click chemistry open up a whole new world of possibility
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News
Explainer: why have bioorthogonal and click chemistry won the 2022 Nobel prize?
Carolyn Bertozzi, Morten Meldal and Barry Sharpless have won the 2022 Nobel prize in chemistry – find out why
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Research
Yeast engineered to ferment sugars into chemotherapy drug precursors
Semisynthesis offers new route to anticancer drug vinblastine
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Research
Artificially evolved enzyme tackles tricky cross coupling
Directed evolution on the metalloenzyme cytochrome P450 creates a catalyst for making macrocyclic antibiotics
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Research
AI-engineered enzyme eats entire plastic containers
Enzyme with only five amino acid alterations depolymerises 51 different PET products faster and at lower temperature than other proteins
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Research
Yeast engineered to convert methanol into heparin
Production levels are currently low, but researchers hope the method could one day mean pharma doesn’t have to rely on animals for this essential medicine
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Feature
How protocells bridge the gap from chemistry to biology
Rachel Brazil talks to the scientists trying to recreate what the first cells were like, or to make their own versions
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Opinion
Ned Seeman’s legacy
A system based on DNA ‘tiles’ can embody Darwinian evolution, raising new possibilities for understanding natural selection and materials development
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Research
Prokaryotes programmed to produce paracetamol avoid pervasive petrochemicals
Genetically modified E. coli serve as green factories for painkillers
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Opinion
Taking the right inspiration from nature
Scientists need to be selective about their sources of inspiration
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Research
‘Self-inflating’ synthetic cells can capture, store and release cargo
Entirely artificial system can use chemical energy to ‘swallow’ payloads like bacteria
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Business
Brewing up plant-inspired medicines
Antheia reconstructs complex biochemical pathways in yeasts to speed up production of natural product-based drugs
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Research
Sortase A strategy could see ribosomal products reach further across chemical space
Compound libraries set to benefit from process that harnesses promiscuity of post-translation enzymes
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Research
Genetically engineered microbes convert waste plastic into vanillin
Plastic bottle becomes industrially useful product thanks to biosynthetic transformation
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News
Explainer: What is Crispr and why did it win the Nobel prize?
The science behind the prize-winning gene editing tool that could change our lives
