Open source.com : BioCurious? The DIY garage biology movement

Would you enjoy reprogramming lab bacteria with DNA from a jellyfish to make them glow green? How about hacking your own genetic data to find out what percentage of the Neanderthal genome you share?  Or building a device that splits water into oxygen and hydrogen? Read more : http://opensource.com/health/12/1/open-labs

BBC Horizon: Playing God

Adam Rutherford meets a new creature created by American scientists. It is part goat, part spider, and its milk can be used to create artificial spider's web. Read more : http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00n57vm

Synthetic biology helps to develop "greener bombs"

"The objective of this Statement of Need (SON) is to develop innovative synthetic biological approaches to produce critical U.S. military energetic ingredients and their precursors using renewable resources and bioprocesses that reduce hazardous waste streams, energy usage, and waste disposal costs encountered with the existing conventional organic manufacturing processes. Both fundamental research to develop approaches applicable to these classes of compounds as well as applied research targeting a specific energetic compound or precursor is of interest."
Read more here : http://www.serdp.org/content/download/12059/146147/version/2/file/WPSON-13-04+Synthetic+Biology+for+Energetics.pdf

Next Generation Synthetic Biology Techniques, George Church

NEXT GENERATION TECHNIQUES, George Church, Harvard Medical School from Holly Million on Vimeo.

Living neon signs

I find it  amazing to see the building blocks and Synthetic biological circuitry come to life in areas so close to our daily experience. Signs are everywhere! What will be next? Pavement? Roofs? Walls?

From the article :

In an example of life imitating art, biologists and bioengineers at UC San Diego have created a living neon sign composed of millions of bacterial cells that periodically fluoresce in unison like blinking light bulbs.


Read more here : http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/pressreleases/researchers_create_living_neon_signs_composed_of_millions_of_glowing_bacter/

Easily 'Re-programmable cells' could be key in creation of new life forms

I wonder if i ever get to write my own 'Hello World' app on a cell :

Scientists at The University of Nottingham are leading an ambitious research project to develop an in vivo biological cell-equivalent of a computer operating system.

Read more : http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/news/pressreleases/2011/november/easily-re-programmable-cells-could-be-key-in-creation-of-new-life-forms.aspx

Sciencemag : The Allure of Synthetic Biology

Probably a very interesting collection of articles, however i have no acces to them.

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/333/6047/1235.full?rss=1

Developing standards in synthetic biology

A very interesting presentation on standardisation in syntheticbiology.

Imagine a world where:

• Each company made its own incompatible nut,  bold and screw?
• Every town had its own way to measure time.
• Every internet provider used different protocols for  the  ‘TCP/IP’ stack, email, web etc. 
• and so on

Standards are vital for the normal functioning of society




The presentation can be found here : www.dsrc.rpi.edu/presentations/RPITalk_2.pptx

Mimicking cells with transistors - MIT News Office

Mimicking cells with transistors

Analog — rather than digital — circuits could enable models of biological systems that are more efficient, more accurate and easier to build.

Mimicking cells with transistors - MIT News Office

Introducing Synthetic Biology - by iGEM Team TU Munich 2011

NSF : A Call to Arms for Synthetic Biology

Scientists have replaced all of the DNA in the arm of a yeast chromosome with computer-designed, synthetically produced DNA that is structurally distinct from its original DNA to produce a healthy yeast cell.


Read more : http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=121639&WT.mc_id=USNSF_51&WT.mc_ev=click

workshop book : Synthetic Biology International Workshop – Berkeley 2011

Here you can find the workshop book of the :

“International Synthetic Biology Workshop: A Bio-based Future”

29-31st of August 2011http://synbio.ku.dk/english/past_events/berkeley_2011/

Another introduction to Synthetic Biology

An introduction to Syntethic Biology posted on youtube by The university of Bristol

What are the best online synthetic biology resources?

Some good resources on Synthetic Biology : http://www.quora.com/What-are-the-best-online-synthetic-biology-resources/answer/Alex-Yang-1

The Brown Lab's complete guide to microarraying for the molecular biologist.

I found this one http://cmgm.stanford.edu/pbrown/mguide/ while looking for articles on how to build your own DNA micro array. The software download link appears to be broken. However, I think you can get the software here http://en.bio-soft.net/chip/ArrayMaker.html

Synthetic Biology Workshop Keynote: J. Craig Venter on Synthetic Biology at NASA Ames

The synthetic biology initiative at NASA Ames is designed to harness biology in reliable, robust, engineered systems to support NASA’s exploration and science missions, to improve life on Earth, and to help shape NASA’s future. Read More : http://syntheticbiology.arc.nasa.gov/

What is Synthetic biology?

Where electonics design and diy biology meet

Electronic focus setup for a microscope : http://hackteria.org/?p=888#more-888

Visit to the design museum in London. Stumbled on E chromi

Recently I visited London and went to the design museum. There i stumbled on E chromi, one of the entrants of the 2009 International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition (iGEM). In the design museum E. chromi was an entrant to the The Brit Insurance Designs Awards, "the Oscars of the design world," 

E. chromi from Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg on Vimeo.

j5: automated DNA assembly software

I have been playing around with this tool, quite fascinating. More on it here : http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110816133115.htm


Excerpt  "The j5 software package is a Web-based computer application that automatically designs and optimizes state-of-the-art DNA construction protocols," Hillson says. "Within minutes it can determine the optimal flanking sequences that should be attached to each DNA part to produce the desired recombinant DNA at the least expense, in a manner that is executable by hand or robotics."