Latest Biocybernetics Stories

GERMANTOWN, Md., May 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Intrexon Corporation, a next generation synthetic biology company, today announced that it has closed a Series F preferred investment round of $150 million, bringing the company's total capital raised to $509 million. New investors accounted for the majority of the round, with current investors, including affiliates of Randal J. Kirk, Intrexon's Chairman and CEO, and Third Security, LLC, taking the balance of the round. The funding will be...

Update to synthetic biology map identifies new activity across the globe The number of private and public entities conducting research in synthetic biology worldwide grew significantly between 2009 and 2013, according to the latest version of an interactive map produced by the Synthetic Biology Project at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Synthetic biology, an area of research focused on the design and construction of new biological parts and devices, or the...

What effects will the rapidly growing field of synthetic biology have on the conservation of nature? The ecological and ethical challenges stemming from this question will require a new dialogue between members of the synthetic biology and biodiversity conservation communities, say Kent Redford of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Archipelago Consulting; Bill Adams of the University of Cambridge; and Georgina Mace of University College London (UCL) in a new paper published 2 April...

National survey finds three out of four adults have heard little or nothing about the emerging technology WASHINGTON, March 20, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Despite advancements in the field of synthetic biology, three out of four adults surveyed in a national poll released today have heard "just a little" or "nothing at all" about the emerging technology, a level of awareness that has changed little since 2010. The national poll of more than 800 U.S. adults conducted by...

ALBANY, New York, August 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new market report published by Transparency Market Research (http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com) "Synthetic Biology Market, Global Industry Analysis, Size, Growth, Share and Forecast, 2012 - 2018 [http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/synthetic-biology-market.html ]", global Synthetic biology market was worth USD 1,537.5 million in 2011. The market grew to a value of USD 2,120 million in 2012, and is...

Are We Making Progress? WASHINGTON, Feb. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Synthetic Biology Project at the Woodrow Wilson Center is launching a new web-based Synthetic Biology Scorecard, designed to track federal and non-federal efforts to improve the governance of synthetic biology research and development so risks are minimized and broad social and economic benefits can be realized. The Scorecard, unveiled today, monitors the progress made toward implementing the...

In the wake of last year's creation of the first self-replicating cell with a synthetic genome "“ which was quickly followed by a request from President Barack Obama for a report by the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues "“ a series of essays in the Hastings Center Report examines the social challenges that synthetic biology presents. Among the authors is the chair of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, who discusses its report on...

Fluorescent Black, a wildly popular science fiction comic printed first as a periodical in Heavy Metal Magazine and later as a collected novel, will now be released in European territories, in three different languages: Spanish, French and English. French printer Bragelonne and Spanish printer Norma Editorial will be releasing the books in October of 2011. Pasadena, CA (PRWEB) June 27, 2011 Fluorescent Black, a wildly popular science fiction comic printed first as a periodical in Heavy...

CARLSBAD, Calif., June 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Life Technologies Corporation has signed an exclusive license agreement for novel technology that enables synthetic biologists to effectively program and control the genetic circuitry in engineered pathways and organisms. This technology, discovered by the inventors while at Martin-Luther-Universitat Halle-Wittenberg in Germany, provides the ability to target and regulate expression within the genome and will enable researchers to more...

Rigorous bioinformatic analysis of the strengths, limitations published in Nature BiotechnologyA software package designed to minimize the potential risks of synthetic biology for the nation's defense and security is now available to the gene synthesis industry and synthetic biology community in an open-source format.Virginia Tech has licensed GenoTHREAT, a software tool that helps detect the use of synthetic DNA as bioterrorism agents. Developed as an open-source project by a team led by...