Synthetic Biology — Science Writing — Riffle through the pages

Dec 22

Dec 22 Improving biosecurity in the age of advanced DNA synthesis

Synthetic biology is the practice of redesigning natural biological systems for useful purposes. Through synthetic biology, researchers can engineer microorganisms to consume environmental pollutants or aid in the manufacturing of sustainable fuels. The potential benefits of synthetic biology are many and profound, but in the wrong hands, while very rare, the tools of synthetic biology could be used to cause harm. As such, the scientific community must take special care to develop safeguards that prevent the misuse of these tools without suppressing growth and innovation in this dynamic field.

Jul 21

Jul 21 Taking aim at hard-to-drug GPCRs with therapeutic antibodies

Stephen Riffle

Drug Development, Synthetic Biology

Read about Twist Biopharma's development of antibody candidates against GPCR therapeutic targets ADORA2A and GLP1R

May 1

May 1 Will the woolly mammoth walk again?

Stephen Riffle

Synthetic Biology

Once a species goes extinct, that’s it—there’s no coming back. So went the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex, the towering woolly mammoth, and the famed passenger pigeon. But, then again, what if extinction isn’t so permanent? What if these creatures are only mostly extinct?