Genomics pioneer J. Craig Venter testifies about synthetic genomics and their implications for health and energy at a hearing on Capitol Hill on May 27, 2010. Mark Wilson/Getty Images As with many new fields, synthetic biologywhich incorporates disparate disciplines like engineering, computer science, biotechnology, and molecular biologyis hard to pin down. But a rough working definition says that it is the application of the principles of engineering to biological systems. Instead of using engineerings discrete modules of code, transistors, resistors, and capacitors, synthetic biology builds things from sequences of genetic material. The field has remarkable potential and has already been used to aid the production of antimalarial drugs and synthetic flavorings. One researcher used mail-order DNA and a genetic map available online for free to create a live polio virus. The implications could be enormous. But the same characteristics that make it promising also create profound questions, particularly in terms of who will profit. Can you own or patent synthetic organisms? How will researchers access the genetic materials needed to do research? Will big companies be able to dictate who can participate in research? How we answer these questions and others will shape the future of the fieldand determine whether … Continue reading →

Dr. Dave Westenberg (right) speaks during the first Research on Tap social hour at Public House Brewing Company in Rolla. Greg Katski/Missouri S&T Dr. Dave Westenbergs passion for educating school-aged children was recognized with the Academy of Science of St. Louis Science Educator Award during the 23rd Annual Outstanding St. Louis Scientists Awards on April 6. The award is given annually to a distinguished individual on the basis of outstanding contributions to science education or to the public understanding of science, engineering, or technology. An associate professor and interim chair of biological sciences at Missouri S&T, Westenberg often does school outreach in the Rolla area and around the state, and organizes and volunteers to do hands-on science activities at conferences and events across the country. During a speech at the ceremony, Westenberg said his inspiration for science education always has been, and always will be, his daughter, Erica, who is now grown up and attending graduate school in Germany. He says he began doing outreach as a way to bond with her and be a part of her life. From helping with her science events in kindergarten to being the germ guy in first grade to dressing up as the … Continue reading →

April 7, 2017 by Bob Yirka report Honeybee (Apis mellifera) landing on a milk thistle flower (Silybum marianum). Credit: Fir0002/Flagstaffotos/ Wikipedia/GFDL v1.2 (Phys.org)A pair of biology professors, one with the University of Illinois, the other with Macquarie University in Australia has proposed in a Perspective piece in the journal Science that the traits we see as instinctual in animals were likely learned by ancestors. In their paper, Gene Robinson and Andrew Barron suggest that those behaviors learned by ancestors wound up in their DNA somehow, making them instinctual behaviors in later generations. Scientists (and everyone else) know that certain behaviors in some animals are instinctualthey are hard-wired, which means that a given animal is able to do something without being taught. Birds can fly and migrate, for example, fish can swim, etc. But where did these innate abilities come from? That is the question posed by Robinson and Barronthey suggest many, if not all innate abilities arise due to an ancestor learning how to do something and then somehow passing that information along in their DNA. To bolster their argument, the research pair note that epigenetic changes (nongenetic influences on gene expression) have been observed in the laba mouse exposed … Continue reading →

Robotics kits can be found in many classrooms across the country, giving kids an introduction to engineering and coding. However, fun and hands-on biology experiment kits are harder to come by. Stanford researchers have now found a way to integrate life sciences into this learning experience by modifying a Lego Mindstorms robotics kit so that it can perform automated liquid handling tasks at a low cost. The best learning comes if students are self-interested and have room to explore themselves, hands-on, senior study author Ingmar Riedel-Kruse, assistant professor of bioengineering, told Laboratory Equipment. Riedel-Kruse has worked with Stanfords School of Education for educational research projects in the past, such as building a cloud lab where students could do experiments remotely, for prototyping purposes, and he had previously built machines out of Legos to run experiments. The idea was how could we simplify this whole concept such that even children could basically replicate something like this in a traditional school or after school environment, Riedel-Kruse said. It didnt hurt that he also enjoyed tinkering with Legos as a child himself. The modifications to the Lego Mindstorms robotics kit are fairly simple and only require minimal, inexpensive add-ons. For the simplest experiments, … Continue reading →

New Mexico State Universitys 2017 Fungal Biology class will bring science to the kitchen during the upcoming Mushroom Cooking DemonstrationThursday, April 13. The event, free and open to the public and the NMSU community, is a joint venture between the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management and the Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Science, both in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. The presentation will be fostered through Soum Sanogo, instructor for the Fungal Biology course. As Chef John Hartley of HRTM demonstrates how to cook mushrooms, students in the Fungal Biology class will present information on the nutritional and medicinal benefits of mushrooms. The event is part of the discovery and experiential learning module on Fungi: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. The event will be from10:20 to 11:35 a.m.in the rotunda of Skeen Hall. Professor Sanogo said this course is offered every other spring semester. The Mushroom Cooking Demonstration was included starting in the spring of 2011. The class emphasizes experiential learning, Sanogo said, and the Mushroom Cooking Demonstration provides one of the opportunities for engaging students in experiential learning. Sanogo said students learn about the Good side of fungi, especially how … Continue reading →