Synthetic Biology

The Synthetic Biology Community Builder

An interview with MIT biologist David Sun Kong—on science, activism, and how biotechnology can empower ordinary people.

By Paolo Pontoniere

Hacking Mother’s Milk

Demand from body builders, neonatal intensive care units, and Big Pharma fuels synbio substitutions for the goodness of breast milk.

By Paolo Pontoniere

What to Expect in Neuroscience, Genetics, Longevity, Biotech, and Psychedelics in 2022

We ask the experts what’s coming in the next 12 months.

By Jane Metcalfe

The Fusion of mRNA and Immunotherapy

Combining these two technologies can make CAR T cell therapy effective, accessible, and affordable for heart disease and cancer.

By David Warmflash

Universal Blood by Mid-Century?

Regenerative medicine could get us there.

By David Warmflash

10 Tips to Transform Your Career and Science Culture

Pioneering synthetic biologist Pamela Silver drops some wisdom.

By Christina Agapakis

The World Has a Data Storage Problem. Is DNA the Answer?

Within 10 years, archival data may be routinely stored in base pairs rather than bytes.

By Hannah Thomasy

Living Pharmacies Could Remedy Disrupted Sleep

DARPA is developing an implantable device with bioengineered cells for treating everything from traveler’s diarrhea to jet lag.

By Emma Yasinski

Raw Emotion Grows in UK Debate Over Gene-Edited Crops

Will fears of climate change cause Great Britain to loosen its restrictions on genetically edited crops?

By Andrew Rosenblum

Biohackers in Space (Almost)

This eclectic mix of researchers is exploring off-Earth living in radical new ways.

By Alex Pearlman