Synthetic biology circuits can respond within seconds

Synthetic biology offers a way to engineer cells to perform novel functions, such as glowing with fluorescent light when they detect a certain chemical. Usually, this is done by altering cells so they express genes that can ...

New technology enables fast protein synthesis

Many proteins are useful as drugs for disorders such as diabetes, cancer, and arthritis. Synthesizing artificial versions of these proteins is a time-consuming process that requires genetically engineering microbes or other ...

'Nature's antifreeze' provides formula for more durable concrete

Secrets to cementing the sustainability of our future infrastructure may come from nature, such as proteins that keep plants and animals from freezing in extremely cold conditions. CU Boulder researchers have discovered that ...

Gene-OFF switches tool up synthetic biology

In the quest for tomorrow's diagnostics, therapeutics, and bioproduced drugs and fine chemicals, synthetic biologists are assembling artificial networks of genes and modular regulatory elements, similar to the electronic ...

Designer proteins form wires and lattices on mineral surface

The goal of the research, published July 11 in the journal Nature, was to engineer artificial proteins to self-assemble on a crystal surface by creating an exact match between the pattern of amino acids in the protein and ...

Citizen scientists design brand new proteins

A team of researchers encoded their specialized knowledge into the computer game Foldit to enable citizen scientists to successfully design synthetic proteins for the first time.

Designing biological movement on the nanometer scale

Synthetic proteins have been created that move in response to their environment in predictable and tunable ways. These motile molecules were designed from scratch on computers, then produced inside living cells.

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