Engineered bacteria could help protect “good” gut microbes from antibiotics
Microbes that safely break down antibiotics could prevent opportunistic infections and reduce antibiotic resistance.
An “oracle” for predicting the evolution of gene regulation
Researchers create a mathematical framework to examine the genome and detect signatures of natural selection, deciphering the evolutionary past and future of non-coding DNA.
Volta Labs: Improving workflows for genetic applications
Udayan Umapathi SM ’17 and Will Langford SM ’14, PhD ’19 are co-founders of a Media Lab spinoff building a full-stack platform to enable automation for genomics and genetic engineering.
Company founded by MIT alumnus lets anyone run DNA experiments
MiniPCR bio has sold thousands of its inexpensive polymerase chain reaction machines to researchers and schools around the world.
Synthetic biology circuits can respond within seconds
MIT engineers design the first synthetic circuit that consists entirely of fast, reversible protein-protein interactions.
Deblina Sarkar joins the MIT Media Lab faculty
New research group aims to bridge the gap between nanotechnology and synthetic biology.
Printing objects that can incorporate living organisms
A 3D printing system that controls the behavior of live bacteria could someday enable medical devices with therapeutic agents built in.
Hacking life inside and outside the laboratory
Managing her own synthetic biology project helped graduate student Jesse Tordoff overcome imposter syndrome and hit her stride.
A new way to control microbial metabolism
Chemical engineers program bacteria to switch between different metabolic pathways, boosting their yield of desirable products.
Scientists look to synthetic biology and 3-D printing for life support in space
Do-it-yourself bio and maker communities can help NASA meet needs of long-distance missions.
Celebrating a curious mind: Steven Keating 1988-2019
Steven Keating SM'12, PhD '16 inspired millions with his research-driven approach to battling cancer and his advocacy for open patient health data.
A “biomultimeter” lets scientists measure RNA and protein production in real-time
Fluorescent tagging system can expedite the process of designing genes and personalizing medicine.
Taming “information hazards” in synthetic biology research
Cryptography techniques to screen synthetic DNA could help prevent the creation of dangerous pathogens, argues Professor Kevin Esvelt.
Startup aims to democratize synthetic biology
Alumna’s mini-lab kits include all necessary tools and materials for anyone to start engineering microbes.
Artificial antimicrobial peptides could help overcome drug-resistant bacteria
With aid of computer algorithm, researchers develop peptides more powerful than those found in nature.