Our latest Futurography unit focused on synthetic biology. We published articles on the regulatory status of the field, the possible militarization of the natural world, and even synthetic biologys relationship to queer theory. But were also interested in what you have to say, so weve written up our survey on the topic. One of the most immediate stumbling blocks in discussions of synthetic biology comes from the difficulty of defining what, exactly, the term means. Some Slate readers agreed that it might be worth trying to clarify what were talking about. I would define synthetic biology as the engineering approach to biology, one wrote, though he or she acknowledged that this framing could potentially overlap with fields such as genetic engineering and metabolic engineering. A few suggested that we should limit the term to attempts to create artificial life, while others argued that getting scientists to agree on what their field entails would likely be futile. Or as one reader put it, Good luck! It's like pornography, you know it when you see it. Readers listed a wide range of promising possible applications for synthetic biology. One proposed that [g]ene drives to mitigate mosquito-born disease and invasive species were the … Continue reading →

Harvard Gazette Harvard's Pamela Silver recalls journey from Silicon Valley to synthetic biology Harvard Gazette Decades and many discoveries later, the same passion helped establish her as a leader in the fledgling field of synthetic biology. Silver was recently named a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is the Elliot T. and Onie H. Adams ... Originally posted here: Harvard's Pamela Silver recalls journey from Silicon Valley to synthetic biology - Harvard Gazette … Continue reading →

Comments(6) Plymouth students were among the many across the country who were dumbfounded by a strange question in their biology GCSE exam. Twitter came alive as year 11 students mocked the paper, supplied by awarding body Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA), for what appeared to be a totally random question about Charles Darwin. Expecting difficult questions on topics such as the menstrual cycles and photosynthesis, students were confronted by the question "Explain why Darwin is drawn as a monkey". The question about the famous biologist led to outrage among some students who felt it was unfair that they had not been asked about topics they have spent months revising. One Plymouth student responded: "It's nice to see AQA are ruining this years GCSEs and not just last years #AQABiology" Another added: "How did you pass GCSE Biology? "Exam: Why was Charles Darwin drawn as a monkey? "Me: I'm just great at biology "#AQABiology" In other parts of the country students were equally stupefied at what appeared to be a history question in a biology exam. One wrote: "Aqa disregarding the menstrual cycle, decay, and cloning reminds me of how my parents will disregard me on results day #aqabiology #aqab1" One … Continue reading →

At the moment of reproductive fertilization, much of a person's health perspective is determined by the genetic and epigenetic information contained within the sperm and egg. This research finding has changed our understanding of health and disease. Wei Yan, foundation professor of physiology and cell biology at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, was one of the first to validate this important finding. In recognition of his distinguished research record and paradigm-shifting discoveries, Yan, who holds a medical degree and a PhD, has received the University's 2017 Outstanding Researcher Award. Yan's research on the genetic and epigenetic regulation of human and animal reproduction is internationally recognized, and his research has been continuously supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and various foundations. Factors such as nutrition, lifestyle, or environmental exposures all impact health. But Yan's research indicates that the quality of the gametes (sperm and eggs) has a huge impact on the health perspective of the offspring. His research has discovered that environmental insults can lead to genetic and epigenetic alterations in the gametes, which not only compromise fertility, but also predispose the offspring to many common diseases, which sometimes can even be inherited across multiple … Continue reading →

*Students at Roswell High School in New Mexico were shocked to discover that one of the questions on their biology final exam was, Why are n***ers black? A screenshot of the question made its way through the high school and into the community at large, sparking outrage. When I first saw it you know, I was just taken back like. You know, this isnt right, Justice Adler, one of the first students to see the racist question, told local station KOB 4. Then I kept reading it over and over again and I just got so angry. Minorities arent just words. We are people. Like, we have feelings. KOB reports that local and state education officials said they are reviewing a student they believe altered the exam with the racial slur. KOB reporter Leonard Tapia shared with the Roswell Daily Record text messages he received from RISD officials: The Roswell ISD and (New Mexico Public Education Department) have become aware that a student altered a screen of the NM End of Course biology exam and took a picture of it to post on Facebook, said Dr. Arsenio Romero, assistant superintendent for instruction at RISD. PED spokeswoman Lida Alikhani said the … Continue reading →

Technology Networks Cell Atlas Study Reveals New Insights into Human Biology ... Technology Networks The first analysis of the physical arrangement of proteins in cells has been published in Science, revealing that a large portion of human proteins can be found in ... New Cell Atlas Shows Subcellular Distribution of 12,000 Proteins ...Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (blog) all 2 news articles » Read the original post: Cell Atlas Study Reveals New Insights into Human Biology ... - Technology Networks … Continue reading →