Scientists at Harvard Medical School had the audacity to think that they could beat nature at its own game and improve on photosynthesis by making it more efficient. They not only succeeded, but showed that their method could convert sunlight directly into biofuel. Read the my article on the SEED conference last month in Digital Journal.
It turns out that by interfering with the body's natural clock (circadian rhythms), jet lag can contribute to weight gain. What Mice Tell Us about Jet Lag. Scientists found this out by conducting a stomach-turning experiment. Several of my articles reporting on the Synthetic Biology: Engineering Evolution & Design (SEED) conference last month have been published in Digital Journal.
I am excited to share today's piece Making Smarter T Cells to Fight Cancer in Digital Journal from my recent series of reports from the SEED (Synthetic Biology: Engineering, Evolution & Design) Conference in Boston earlier this month. My article assesses some recent advances in T Cell therapy and cancer.
My third piece from the SEED conference in Boston published yesterday in Digital Journal looks at an old therapy that with a little genetic tinkering might be useful in combating viral infections like MRSA that are resistant to antibiotics.
Reviving an Old Therapy to Fight a New Threat
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
I covered the Synthetic Biology: Engineering, Evolution & Design (SEED) conference earlier this month in Boston for Digital Journal.
My interest stems from my novel SynBio, published last year.
Two reports have appeared so far and I will post a few more in the coming week.
Scientists are now investigating the possibility of turning bacteria into 'computers' to use as therapeutics and diagnostics:
Why Scientists are Trying to Reboot the Gut
A second report focused on Monsanto's efforts to use synthetic biology (which combines biology with engineering techniques) to replace natural soybean oil with a substitute for omega-3 oil, which is essential for health and mainly available from seafood. The idea is to find a sustainable, land-based alternative especially since stocks of fish are already being depleted. Of course, with anything having to do with Monsanto, the experimental work has already come under fire from critics -- and there are a lot of them. You can read about it here:
Soybeans Seen as a New Source of Omega-3, Sparing Fish
