The Future Is Here Today...Robots, Genetics, AI, Longevity, Singularity

iGEM 2009: Synthetic Biology Competition Bigger than Ever this Halloween

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by Aaron Saenz on September 24th, 2009

igem-2009Like some Frankenstein monster composed of space camp, graduate school, and science fair, iGEM is ready to spring to life this Halloween. The International Genetic Engineering Machine competition is now in its 6th iteration and will feature some of the best undergraduate work in synthetic biology the world has ever seen. The main jamboree from Oct 31st to Nov 2nd will allow the more than 110 teams competing to reveal the successes and failures from their summer long foray into the laboratory. As always, iGEM is hosted by MIT and the public is invited to attend the awards ceremony on Sunday November 1st at 8am. If you’re in the Boston area, you definitely want to go. Last year’s winners included bacteria that could produce electricity, e.coli that could hunt and kill other pathogens, and yeast that could give beer high levels of resveratrol.

Synthetic biology has been called the science of the 21st century. Rewriting the genetic information of micro organisms can allow scientists to create new genetic machines that can perform extraordinary tasks. You remember MIT’s Registry of Standard Biological Parts we discussed? iGEM teams are given access to that database in order to come up with useful, interesting, or just plain cool genetic machines for the competition. MIT is allowing these undergraduates access to some of the most advanced synthetic biology tools of today in the hopes of developing students into the best genetic engineers of tomorrow. That’s exciting stuff.

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Super Babies Reveal the Key to Strength Gene

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by Aaron Saenz on June 30th, 2009

It’s known as myostatin, but it might as well be called kryptonite, because it’s what keeps each of us feeling like Clark Kent. This protein tells your muscles when to stop growing, and in the last few years we’ve seen two babies born with a mutant gene that prevents them from producing enough myostatin. The result? Super Babies. And like any amazing mutation, scientists are studying it to see if, and how, we could all become as muscle bound as these tots.

Two super babies have the gene for rapid muscle growth.

Can a baby unlock the gene for strength?

The first super baby was born in Germany in 2004. Though his name was never released, pictures demonstrated that his young physique contained almost twice as much muscle as other infants. Look ahead to fall 2005 in Michigan, Mr. and Mrs. Hoekstra adopt a young boy named Liam. Soon he is growing muscle at an astounding rate. Hanging on rings in an iron cross position by 5 months, pull-ups by 9 months, Liam is the second super baby. His condition, now known as myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy, makes him hungry, lean, and strong. Check out his pic after the break.

With Liam, scientists had further proof that a genetic mutation could exist that causes a human to naturally build muscle. Without even trying, Liam has little to no body fat, can lift seven pound weights arms extended (he only weighs 30 lbs himself) and has a six-pack. Now nearly four, Liam is taking gymnastic lessons, but this is more of an outlet for his energy than an explanation for his physique. No doubts, it’s the lack of myostatin that’s helping him get ripped.

super-strength-babies

The Protein to End All Proteins

Blocking myostatin has been shown to have drastic effects in animals besides humans. Myostatin tests in labs have pumped up mice to Schwarzenegger proportions.

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Another Step in Genetic Engineering: Glowing Primates

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by Andrew Kessel on June 3rd, 2009

The primate family tree seems to have gotten a bit brighter lately.  Earlier, Singularity Hub reported on Ruby Puppy, the genetically engineered glowing dog, and now the puppy has been one-upped by a team of Japanese scientists who have created a gaggle of glowing marmosets.  Monkeys are just steps away from humans on the evolutionary ladder.  Does that mean that we’ll soon be glowing too?

Glowing Primates: Terrible at Flashlight Tag

Glowing Primates: Terrible at Flashlight Tag (credit Erika Sasaki - Hideyuki Okano / AP)

The marmosets were given the glowing gene in much the same way as Ruby Puppy but, instead of glowing red like the transgenic dog, the primates glow green.  The genetic mutation of these marmosets holds many of the same implications as a glowing dog, including the potential study of many human diseases as well as the ethical dilemmas that come with the territory.  The marmoset itself was targeted for study because it reaches sexual maturity faster and has more offspring, allowing experiments to take less time from breeding to data collection.

Aside from the usual perks of having a genetically engineered pet/lab experiment, the plethora of scientists credited with writing the report believe that this is the first time that the offspring of genetically engineered primates are able to inherit the new trait.  This was proven when three out of the four second-generation marmosets bred in the experiment were capable of glowing under ultraviolet light.  The presence of this gene in the sperm and egg cells of the marmoset could not only lower the cost of each animal, but also increase the yield.  Whereas only a few marmosets matured to adulthood from the 900 original embryos, tradition breeding could allow for a much better survival rate.

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Genetically Engineered Puppies Glow In The Dark

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by Andrew Kessel on May 13th, 2009

Dog training is poised to become much more interesting.  In addition to the usual tricks (sit, lay down, heel, look adorable), “glow” may soon be added to the repertoire.  A team at Seoul National University located in South Korea has successfully created a new breed of beagle capable of fluorescing under ultraviolet light (see video at the end of this post).  It sounds odd, but it certainly is a novel way to find Sparky: if he runs off, just head for the nearest glowing shrubbery.

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I Can Glow Red At Night, How About You?

Although some species can naturally create light (such as fireflies and some planktons), in recent years scientists have been keen to develop the trait within animals that do not glow on their own accord.  Genetically engineered luminescence is generally regarded as the first step in gene alteration, allowing scientists a clear indication of whether or not their experiment succeeded.  Fluorescent animals have been bred in the laboratory before, but this is believed to be the first instance of a dog being given the gene.

The transgenic canine named Ruby Puppy was cloned using a technique called retrovirus-mediated gene transfer.  This allows scientists to introduce a foreign gene into the host animal’s DNA.  The gene that was introduced into Ruby Puppy’s DNA was for the creation of a fluorescent protein that, upon contact with ultraviolet light, emits a red glow.  A genetically modified virus was used to inject the new genetic code directly into a stem cell nucleus.  That nucleus was then inserted into a de-nucleated egg cell and placed in a surrogate mother.  Give it a little time and voila: an eating, sleeping, pooping, glowing (literally) puppy.

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Who is DIYbio.org?

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by Aaron Saenz on April 29th, 2009

diybio-logo1If you’re like me, Jurassic Park taught you two valuable lessons: genetic engineering has to be dangerous, and the coolest scientists are chaos obsessed mathematicians. Fifteen years later, I’m throwing both of those lessons out the window with the help of the new biohacking web-hub DIYbio.org. In the first part of our story we talked about the DIY biology movement and what it might mean for the world. Now, let’s put on our Jeff Goldblum glasses, bust out our lab coats and get to talking with some of the coolest researchers I’ve met: the founders of DIYbio Jason Bobe and Mac Cowell, and long-time contributor Bryan Bishop.

The success of DIYbio.org was less engineered than the genetic work they discuss. The idea started as a simple way to get people together who might be interested in the subject. Soon the listserv was growing like bacteria on a petri dish. It was a case of being at the right place at the right time, with the right determination. In DIY biology we see the convergence of three major trends: a rising youth culture trying to make its positive mark on the world, the free exchange of information and expertise via the Internet, and a growing abundance of quality genetic engineering tools. Sitting at this nexus, DIYbio is a rising star already drawing attention from major news media, the scientific community, and the Internet populace at large.

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Do It Yourself Biohacking

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by Aaron Saenz on April 28th, 2009

diybio-logo1Ever wanted to play with your own genome? When you read about the latest genetic engineering tools do your fingers itch with anticipation? Do you look around the library, the pub, or the community center searching for your fellow biohackers? Look no further, intrepid gene-explorer, the Do-It-Yourself Biology movement has found a home at DIYbio.org. From the humble beginnings in the minds of Jason Bobe and Mac Cowell, the DIYbio community has exploded into the wider Internet community and is picking up interest from PBS, Seed Magazine, The Boston Globe, and many others. Back in January, Singularity Hub gave you a taste of what some at-home biologists were cooking, but now we’re ready to serve the whole enchilada. In the second part of this story we’ll have interviews with the founders and regular DIYbio contributor Bryan Bishop. Now, let’s all take a moment and tie our shoes, because DIYbio is about to knock our socks off.

Just to be clear on the concept: genetic engineering takes microscopic specimens and uses standard techniques to splice in desirable genetic traits. The uses of these traits range from the interesting (like making things smell like bananas) to the crucial (developing new vaccines). The power of this technology is almost limitless. Natural biology produced fully fledged sentient life in four billion years, synthetic biology might give us designer babies in less than ten.

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Amateurs Are Trying Genetic Engineering At Home

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by Keith Kleiner on January 2nd, 2009

Marcus Wohlsen from the Associated Press came out with an article on December 26, 2008 describing the emergence of do it yourself genetic engineers (biohackers) working from their basements and garages.  Biohacker Meredith Patterson is highlighted in her efforts to develop genetically altered yogurt bacteria that will glow green to signal the presence of melamine, the chemical that turned Chinese-made baby formula and pet food deadly.  Biohackers like Patterson may or many not have professional or educational backgrounds in biology, yet with the availabilty of affordable tools and dna samples almost anyone can now give genetic engineering a try.

Wohlsen’s article has caused quite a sensation across the net.  Years from now the article very well may be seen as the catalyst that moved amateur genetic engineering from unknown hobby to full fledged global phenomenon.  A few quick searches on google shows that the internet is virtually devoid of websites that specifically cater to the genetic engineering hobbyist.  Wohlsen’s article will only accelerate the inevitable mushrooming of several such sites in the coming years.

The ethical repercussions and potential dangers associated with amateur genetic engineering are clearly a concern for all of us.  But the simple fact is that the rise of amateur genetic engineering, like any emerging technology, cannot be stopped.  Rather than oppose this movement and push it into the much more dangerous world of black market activity, we need to embrace the movement with sensible regulation and healthy, open debate.

Carolyn Y. Johnson at the Boston Globe published a more comprehensive story in September 2008 that is also good reading.

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