Synthetic Biology

Researchers design tools to develop vaccines more efficiently for African swine fever virus (ASFV)

The reverse-genetics system developed for ASFV may be adapted for other viruses, including lumpy skin disease, Zika, chikungunya, and Ebola viruses

Revolutionizing plastic waste management through biological upcycling

Innovative research transforms plastic waste into valuable chemicals, paving the way for a circular economy and sustainable space travel

Mirror Bacteria Research Poses Significant Risks, Dozens of Scientists Warn

Synthetic biologists make artificial cells, but one particular kind isn’t worth the risk.

Researchers call for global discussion about possible risks from “mirror bacteria”

J. Craig Venter Institute awarded 5-year, $5M grant to lead Center for Innovative Recycling and Circular Economy (CIRCLE)

CIRCLE is one of the six new NSF Global Centers focused on advancing bioeconomy research to solve global challenges

Tae Seok Moon, Ph.D. and Nan Zhu, Ph.D. join J. Craig Venter Institute faculty

JCVI continues to actively recruit faculty to expand core research areas, including human health and synthetic biology

Can CRISPR help stop African Swine Fever?

Gene editing could create a successful vaccine to protect against the viral disease that has killed close to 2 million pigs globally since 2021.

Scientists develop method to efficiently construct single-copy human artificial chromosomes (HACs)

This new tool will allow scientists to work in mammalian systems in ways only previously available in bacteria and yeast

HACs have wide potential research applications to synthetic biologists and may eventually aid in delivering DNA in clinical applications

Opentrons Announces New Robotics Education Initiative Demonstrating Commitment to Laboratory Automation for Students

12th Build-a-Cell Workshop hosted at J. Craig Venter Institute in La Jolla

The workshop will take place March 29, 2024 with registration closing March 19

J. Craig Venter Institute contracted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to rapidly construct synthetic influenza genes

Genes will be used to help develop seasonal and pandemic vaccines, improving response time and vaccine efficacy

Bringing cells to life … and to Minecraft: $30 million NSF grant to support whole-cell modeling at the Beckman Institute

Beckman researchers and collaborators received $30 million from the U.S. National Science Foundation to establish the NSF Science and Technology Center for Quantitative Cell Biology. The center will develop whole-cell models to transform our understanding of how cells function and share that knowledge with diverse communities through the popular computer game Minecraft.

Lessons from the Minimal Cell

“Despite reducing the sequence space of possible trajectories, we conclude that streamlining does not constrain fitness evolution and diversification of populations over time. Genome minimization may even create opportunities for evolutionary exploitation of essential genes, which are commonly observed to evolve more slowly.”

Even Synthetic Life Forms With a Tiny Genome Can Evolve

By watching “minimal” cells regain the fitness they lost, researchers are testing whether a genome can be too simple to evolve.

Scientists Create the Smallest-Ever Moving Cell

Just two genes get tiny synthetic cells moving, offering clues to life’s evolution.

BullFrog AI Partners with J. Craig Venter Institute to Develop Colorectal Cancer Therapeutic

Collaboration seeks to develop an oncolytic virus that incorporates a novel, precision-targeted approach to improve safety and efficacy

Synthesizing life on the planet

What’s the smallest number of genes that cells need to grow and reproduce? Is it possible to synthesize minimal genomes and insert them into cells? What do minimal genomes teach us about life? An interview with John Glass, Ph.D.

Synthetic genomics advances and promise

Advances in DNA synthesis will enable extraordinary new opportunities in medicine, industry, agriculture, and research

Scientists develop most complete whole-cell computer simulation model of cell to date

J. Craig Venter Institute model organism-minimal cell platform provides robust tools for exploring first principles of life, design tools for genome

Genes necessary for cell division in modern bacterial cells identified

Discovery may help shape understanding of primitive cell division

Hamilton O. Smith, M.D., Synthetic Biology Pioneer and Nobel Laureate, to Step Down from Daily Duties at J. Craig Venter Institute

Dr. Smith will maintain advisory role as professor emeritus

After saving countless lives, Nobel laureate Hamilton Smith retires as his own health falters

He has been a fixture in San Diego science for decades

Synthetic Cell-Powered Lotion to Manage Type 1 Diabetes

2019 Summer Internship Program

Scientist Spotlight: Lauren Oldfield

No More Needles! Using Microbiome and Synthetic Biology Advances to Better Treat Type 1 Diabetes

Every Day is World Food Day at JCVI

JCVI Team Awarded Two Grants Under the National Science Foundation’s “Understanding the Rules of Life” Initiative, Building on 20 Years of JCVI Research

NSF announces new awards for Understanding the Rules of Life

New projects address genetic, environmental causality in biological systems and processes

First Minimal Synthetic Bacterial Cell Designed and Constructed by Scientists at Venter Institute and Synthetic Genomics, Inc.

Cell, JCVI-syn3.0, was minimized to just 473 genes

First Self-Replicating, Synthetic Bacterial Cell Constructed by J. Craig Venter Institute Researchers

Venter Institute Scientists Create First Synthetic Bacterial Genome

Publication Represents Largest Chemically Defined Structure Synthesized in the Lab

Team Completes Second Step in Three Step Process to Create Synthetic Organism

JCVI Scientists Publish First Bacterial Genome Transplantation Changing One Species to Another

Research is important step in further advancing field of synthetic genomics

IBEA Researchers Make Significant Advance in Methodology Toward Goal of a Synthetic Genome

Group Synthesizes Biologically Active Genome of Bacteriophage φX174

IBEA research, funded by Dept. of Energy, is an important advance toward the goal of a completely synthetic genome that could aid in carbon sequestration and energy production