When these designer cells hear music they release insulin for diabetics
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Our mastery of synthetic biology is improving so much that this weird breakthrough is now possible. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about exponential tech and trends, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. I’ve seen lots...
These new engineered super plants clean the air better than 30 regular plants
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF People are looking at ways to use nature to help clean the environment, and air purifying plants is one way especially if they’re covering the outside of a skyscraper … Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential...
Fertiliser costs have tripled so synthetic biology startups are re-inventing how its made
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF This year, you might not know it, your food costs will increase not necessarily because of scarcity but because the cost of fertiliser tripled last year and for farmers and consumers in poor countries that’s almost a death sentence. Love the Exponential Future? Join...
Scientists have turned bacteria into Hunter-Killer cancer warriors
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Biology is programmable, and we’re learning how to program it to our advantage to kill cancer. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about exponential tech and trends, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. Cancer tumors are...
World’s first Pig-Human heart transplant patient died from a Porcine virus
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Xenotransplantation relies on organs from other species that can be transplanted into humans to be genetically engineered to be virus free, this one wasn’t and it’s set the field back years. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses...
The world’s smallest synthetic lifeform can now move by itself
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Synthetic bacteria aren’t natural, and now scientists are starting to give them new abilities. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about exponential tech and trends, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. Japanese scientists have “engineered the...
New genetic firewalls keep engineered alien bacteria safe from outside attack
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF We’re becoming increasingly adept at coding life and created new kinds of DNA, and that’s good and bad … Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about exponential tech and trends, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog....
Researchers use AI to create cancer hunting human super soldier cells
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Essentially the human body is an amazing machine, and as scientists understand it better they’re managing to code it to do new things. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about exponential tech and trends, ...
Viruses become CRISPR Trojan Horses to genetically re-engineer bacteria
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Bacteria can be hard to reach, and even harder to genetically modify – until now. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about exponential tech and trends, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. CRISPR, arguably the world’s...
From kale to cherries scientists are using CRISPR to create new kinds of foods
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Oddly if a plant could have evolved “that way naturally” even if you genetically re-engineer it then it’s not a GMO. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about exponential tech and trends, connect, watch a keynote,...
Another breakthrough brings powerful molecular computers closer to reality
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Future computers won’t necessarily be silicon, they could be chemical, liquid, molecular, or even biological in nature. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about exponential tech and trends, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. All life,...
Scientists cram millions of years of evolution into months with chromosome level re-engineering
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Being able to genetically re-engineer chromosomes is the genetic equivalent of being able to re-write the paragraphs of a book all at once and is revolutionary. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about exponential...
Three children are doing fine years after receiving transplants without immunosuppressant drugs
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF This breakthrough means that there many now be a way for people who’ve had transplants to ditch the lifetime of immunpsuppressing drugs. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, subscribe to the podcast, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about...
Genetically engineered gut bacteria produce Parkinson’s drugs in vivo for patients
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF What if pharmacies and doctors weren’t in a remote building somewhere but in your body instead? Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about exponential tech and trends, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. New research presented...
Molecular farming means your next vaccine could be grown in a plant
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF What if your food could vaccinate you against diseases? And other odd questions … Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. It’s a hot summers day and you bite down on a plump,...
Scientists used CRISPR to create a superbug resistant to all viruses on Earth, again
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF This is the second time we’ve created a superbug, and it shows how powerful gene editing technology can be. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. Do you remember the time I talked...
CRISPR gene editing tool shown to stop Coronavirus replication in human cells
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF By future standards today’s medicines and treatments are old fashioned, and we have an increasing array of powerful new tools at our disposal. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. A little while...
Slowly but surely AI is helping eliminate the need for animal testing
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Animal testing is controversial, on the one hand it helps get drugs to market and on the other kills and harms millions of animals, but AI be a solution. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, connect, watch...
Second generation of living robots are faster and smarter than their predecessors
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Our command of biology is improving, and we’re now creating the world’s first programmable living synthetic organisms – AKA living robots. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. Last year the world’s first...
Genetically engineered barcoded spores could help improve food safety
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF When things go wrong in the global supply chain it can be hard to find and fix the fault and recall the products, this improves the situation. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my...
