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Bioluminescent plants don’t exist in nature — but you can buy one for $29
Biotech firm Light Bio is selling gene-edited bioluminescent plants that glow green in the dark for just $29.
World’s first cloned arctic wolf is now 100 days old
After two years of effort, China's Sinogene Biotechnology has created the world’s first cloned arctic wolf.
Search algorithm reveals nearly 200 new kinds of CRISPR systems
Researchers have discovered rare new CRISPR systems that have a range of functions and could enable gene editing, diagnostics, and more.
ChatGPT-like AI creates new bacteria-killing proteins
Using a large language model AI, biotech startup Profluent has created new antimicrobial proteins.
This “living medicine” can eliminate a deadly lung infection
Researchers have engineered bacteria to create a “living medicine” against a nasty respiratory bug.
Top 4 biotech breakthroughs of 2021
New biotechnology breakthroughs took on viruses, parasites, and genetic diseases this year.
When an antibiotic fails: MIT scientists are using AI to target “sleeper” bacteria
Most antibiotics target metabolically active bacteria, but AI can help efficiently screen compounds that are lethal to dormant microbes.
New on/off switch in mRNA lets doctors “tune” gene therapy
A new kind of mRNA switch could give doctors the ability to precisely control the expression of therapeutic genes.
Why this startup is creating edible oil from sawdust
ÄIO's main goal is to replace palm oil with oil upcycled from low-value industry organics in order to prevent further deforestation.
How AI played an instrumental role in making mRNA vaccines
Years before Moderna created an effective mRNA vaccine against COVID, the company put into place AI systems to accelerate the research process.
Personalized cancer vaccines are having a moment
Personalized cancer vaccines were a recurring theme at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in 2024.
Chernobyl fungus could shield astronauts from cosmic radiation
A recent study tested how well the fungi species Cladosporium sphaerospermum blocked cosmic radiation aboard the International Space Station.
Australian researchers have manufactured a living blood vessel
A blood vessel isn’t just a simple tube. Researchers at the University of Sydney have developed an implant capable of mimicking its complexities.
First person to get a gene-edited pig kidney is “recovering well” so far
A gene-edited pig kidney has been successfully transplanted into a person for the first time, giving new hope to people with kidney failure.
An old anti-psychotic offers a new way to treat chronic pain
Researchers have found that an old anti-psychotic drug may have implications for chronic pain and cancer.
Jellyfish surprise scientists by learning without a brain
Researchers demonstrate that Caribbean box jellyfish don't just float around aimlessly. They learn and adapt to their environment.
5 biotech trends to watch in 2023
After a monumental year of breakthroughs, scientists, investors, and CEOs share which areas of biotech they are eagerly watching this year.
Engineered bacteria convert CO2 into valuable industrial chemicals
Many industrial chemicals have a large carbon footprint. But scientists have engineered bacteria that ferments carbon dioxide from the air to make industrial chemicals
CRISPR could create hypoallergenic cats
The results of a recent study found that genetically engineering cats could be a solution to eliminating cat allergies.
CRISPR could create a one-shot treatment for HIV
Researchers have used gene editing to engineer HIV-fighting immune cells inside the bodies of mice.
Harnessing nature’s secret: How synthetic biology could save the planet
In partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks
Did nature hold the key to reversing climate change all along? Synthetic biologists think so.
A new look at the strange case of the first gene-edited babies
Did He Jiankui "Make People Better"? A new documentary leans toward a different narrative about gene-editing than we've heard before.
Smart sensor tells you exactly when fruit will ripen — or spoil
Inside vast warehouses, millions of fruits sit and slowly ripen. To help packers know when fruit has got to go, a biotech startup is turning to small sensors.
This bacteria can find a landmine
Bacteria that glow in the presence of a landmine may one day help save lives.
Can CRISPR keep the beer flowing?
Researchers are turning to CRISPR to create barley better able to remain dormant in climate change — while being still ready to make beer.
First neuron-level map of a monkey brain revealed
The first neuron-level 3D image of an entire macaque monkey brain could have a major impact on the world of neuroscience.
Kenya’s GM cassava plant gets greenlight
Kenya is moving forward with developing a cassava plant that’s been genetically modified to resist cassava brown streak disease.
Scientists make sustainable coffee from lab-grown cells
Finnish researchers are making sustainable coffee in the lab to combat the negative environmental effects of coffee production.
New CRISPR-based map ties every human gene to its function
Researchers used a single-cell sequencing tool Perturb-seq on every expressed gene in the human genome, linking each to its job in the cell.
Should we use genome editing to make better babies?
Over the years, many different people, from preachers to philosophers, have voiced their concerns over the safety and ethics of gene editing.
This wireless pacemaker dissolves into your body
Researchers at Northwestern and George Washington University have developed a pacemaker that dissolves into the body.
Can the woolly mammoth save Siberia from climate change?
Harvard geneticist George Church’s new de-extinction startup aims to resurrect the woolly mammoth to help combat permafrost thaw.
Reversing hearing loss with regenerative therapy
MIT spinout Frequency Therapeutics’ drug candidate stimulates the growth of hair cells in the inner ear.
This genetically modified grass can clean up toxic pollution
Researchers demonstrated that genetically modified prairie grass can soak up military-grade pollution from the soil.
CRISPR is revolutionizing medicine — its origin story is pretty incredible, too
The origin story of CRISPR highlights how groundbreaking discoveries can emerge from run-of-the-mill research.
New lab-grown mini hearts have a human-like beat
Researchers created the first human mini heart in the lab. The mini hearts, called cardioids, have developed distinctly beating chambers, which fire in sync.
Scientists may have found the secret to invisibility
Researchers have developed a unique light wave that, when beamed through an object, makes the object appear invisible to cameras and even the human eye. This could be the key to invisibility.
Anti-aging isn’t a scam, but immortality almost certainly is
A new biotech firm with $3 billion in funding has announced plans to combat aging. But what does that mean for human life span, exactly?
Longtermism’s perspective on humanity’s past, present, and future
If we manage to avoid a large catastrophe, we can see ourselves as living at the early beginnings of human history.
A virus invisibility cloak makes AAV gene therapy safer
Researchers have figured out a way to cloak the AVV so it can sneak past the human immune system and deliver its gene therapy payload undetected.
Genetically modified pigs get green light from FDA
The FDA has approved Revivicor’s genetically engineered GalSafe pigs for use as food or medical products — a first for genetically modified animals.
New approach for mRNA HIV vaccine passes first human trial
There is currently no HIV vaccine, but a new technique which produced specific immunity cells in humans may pave the way to one.
New test can show if you’ve had COVID-19, even if antibodies fade
The FDA has approved a T cell test for COVID, a first-of-its-kind assay that looks to the immune system’s memory.
Scientists test mind control with light — no surgery required
In a new breakthrough, scientists use optogenetics to manipulate brain cells in mice without surgery or brain implants.
The daily coronavirus news roundup – friday, march 27th
Slowing infection rates in New York, a robot that's delivering vital supplies, and other fresh coronavirus news updates.
“Antibody inhaler” could rapidly treat—and prevent—COVID-19
Scientists have discovered a new antibody therapy that can be inhaled to provide treatment and temporary immunity to the coronavirus.
Can AI predict which depression treatment is most effective?
Artificial intelligence-powered algorithms that analyze brain scans are showing promise in helping doctors find an effective depression treatment on the first try.
Genetically engineering the first hypoallergenic cat
Scientists are attempting to create the world’s first truly hypoallergenic cat by deleting the feline gene that causes cat allergies.
Here is every potential coronavirus treatment and vaccine
Across the globe, researchers are scrambling to find a coronavirus treatment or vaccine that could bring the COVID-19 outbreak to a swift end.
The case for love-enhancing drugs
Drugs don’t just affect the user; they shape relationships too. And a pair of bioethicists thinks we should consider them for relationship enhancement.
Coronavirus treatment update: Where we stand today
Our latest coronavirus treatment update highlights the options that appear to work, ones that might, and ones that failed to live up to their promise.
New promise for psychedelics and depression
New findings on psychedelics and depression show the benefits of microdosing, and could present more effective treatment options.
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Future of Food
It’s time to embrace the frankenfish
Would you eat fish that was genetically designed in a lab? What if it was your only option? Like it or not, GMO salmon and other futuristic foods are revolutionizing the global food system right in front of our eyes.
The first GMO salmon is coming to a store near you
After a 30-year struggle, Atlantic salmon modified with a growth hormone gene from Chinook salmon has been approved by the FDA. Its producers say it solves problems related to climate change, ocean pollution, and food scarcity. Skeptics call it playing god. Both call it the Frankenfish.
Finding a new drug in one-third the time and one-thousandth the cost
How a pediatric cancer drug went from discovery to clinical trials in five years and just $500,000.