Talking Synthetic Biology — Launch of Synthetic Biology Dialogue Report
Venter does it again — Landmark paper published by the J. Craig Venter Institute
Redesigning ribosomes — Nature paper by the Chin lab
Notable quotations from our front page
“There are very few molecular operations that you understand in the way that you understand a wrench or a screwdriver or a transistor.”
“We now need to move beyond Lego™ metaphors and genetic toys to professional technologies.”
“Part of the whole excitement of synthetic biology was to make a branch of molecular biology into an engineering discipline”
“The scientific community must take, and be seen to be taking, a lead in debating the implications of their research and engaging with broader society”
“Unlike many other engineering disciplines, biology does not yet possess a theory of what the minimal information about a biological part should be”
“Synthetic biology has huge potential to help us both further our understanding of natural biological systems and also develop new biologically-based systems to tackle future challenges”
Professor Nigel Brown of the BBSRC announcing seven new synthetic biology 'networks'
“If you wanted to do bioterrorism, you wouldn't go to the hassle of creating a new organism. There are plenty of ways of doing it already”
Alistair Elfick of the University of Edinburgh, quoted in The Scotsman
“An emerging field of science which is being used to create artificial life is at risk of being abused by terrorists, according to a new report”
