Biotechnology news

• F.D.A. Faces Upset Over Denials of New Drugs

  05-03-2026 11:01 via nytimes.com
  Agency officials promise fast reviews of new treatments while vowing they will not be a “rubber stamp” for the industry. But patients with rare diseases view recent decisions as signs that the doors are closing on their options.
  
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• Henrietta Lacks’s Family Settles Suit With Novartis Over Use of Her Cells

  27-02-2026 22:47 via nytimes.com
  Ms. Lacks’s family accused Novartis of profiting from her cells, which were taken from her without her consent in 1951, when she was dying of cervical cancer.
  
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• Growth-coupled evolution accelerates efficient biosynthesis of natural products

  13-02-2026 01:00 via cell.com
  Microbial natural product biosynthesis often suffers from metabolic burden and genetic instability. Bushin et al. introduce a synthetic C1 feedback loop that couples xanthommatin production to cell survival, enabling adaptive laboratory evolution to achieve gram-scale production. This strategy offers a generalizable route to engineer cell factories for complex natural products.
  
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• In vivo continuous evolution via phenotypic sorting to alleviate metabolic bottlenecks in β-alanine production

  01-02-2026 01:00 via cell.com
  This study uses a T7 RNA polymerase-deaminase fusion editor-based in vivo evolution platform, coupled with a biosensor for simultaneous mutagenesis and screening, to enhance the activity of the rate-limiting enzyme in β-alanine biosynthesis, thereby offering a scalable strategy for optimizing microbial cell factories.
  
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• Broadening art–science collaboration in biotechnology: integrating design

  23-01-2026 01:00 via cell.com
  This article extends recent conversations on art–science collaboration in biotechnology to include design and biodesign. We highlight the rise of biodesign, tinkering with design, and more-than-human approaches in fostering innovative, sustainable outcomes for contemporary biotechnology, illustrating these opportunities through case studies in transdisciplinary partnership.
  
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• Image-guided volumetric bioprinting

  19-01-2026 01:00 via cell.com
  Image-guided volumetric bioprinting allows for the adaptive fabrication of complex structures for tissue engineering. Seminal work by Florczak et al. introduces Generative, Adaptive, Context-Aware 3D Printing, a workflow that uses computer vision to automatically generate functional, vascular-like networks that conform to living cells within hydrogels, improving their functionality.
  
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• Reimagining colour with synthetic biology

  18-12-2025 01:00 via cell.com
  Colour is an integral part of the consumer experience, added to most products we use in our daily lives. Globally, approximately 2 million tons of petroleum-based synthetic dyes and pigments are produced each year, with 40% consumed by the textile industry alone. While the production of these dyes and pigments has a considerable environmental footprint, their application as dyes, inks, and coatings is even larger, requiring significant amounts of heat, energy, and auxiliary chemicals to achieve
  
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• New technologies for production of recombinant spider silk

  25-11-2025 01:00 via cell.com
  Natural spider silk cannot be harvested on a commercial scale due to the spiders' cannibalistic nature. Recombinant spider silk provides a scalable alternative to traditional silk production by using microbial fermentation of spider silk proteins, overcoming the challenge of farming spiders, thereby making spider silk – a holy grail of biomaterials – available on a large scale. This biotechnology-based approach replicates the properties of natural spider silk for diverse applications, includ
  
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• Intramuscular delivery of mRNA-encoded single-chain variable fragments prevents myotoxin II-induced skeletal muscle damage in a preclinical model

  24-11-2025 01:00 via cell.com
  Snakebites cause over 140 000 deaths and 400 000 disabilities globally each year. Prompt treatment is essential to prevent the severe effects of envenomings. In this study, we examined the potential benefits of using mRNA technology to express toxin-specific antibody fragments in local tissues and showed their effectiveness in reducing venom-induced muscle damage.
  
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• Elevated carbon dioxide stimulates efficient organic carbon consumption for the unicellular alga Galdieria

  22-11-2025 01:00 via cell.com
  Contrary to standard fermentation, elevated CO2 triggers efficient organic-carbon consumption in Galdieria during heterotrophy, enabling high-yield biomass and timing C-phycocyanin accumulation. Stable-isotope analysis revealed CO2 as a metabolic trigger, rather than a carbon source, but illumination can enable mixotrophic carbon consumption and increased substrate to biomass ratios.
  
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• Solar-driven PHB synthesis from wastewater by engineered semiconductor–bacteria biohybrids

  20-11-2025 01:00 via cell.com
  Industrial wastewater contaminated with sulfate, heavy metal ions, and complex organic compounds poses a significant threat to the environment [1]. Although chemical or physical methods, including chemical coagulation, advanced oxidation, and membrane separation, have been used to treat sulfate-rich metal-laden wastewater (SRMLW), such biological treatment presents economic and environmental challenges when degrading sulfate and removing metal ions from SRMLW [2]. SRB can utilize sulfate as the
  
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• Dual enhancement of mycoprotein nutrition and sustainability via CRISPR-mediated metabolic engineering of Fusarium venenatum

  19-11-2025 01:00 via cell.com
  Improvements in nutrition and sustainability for Fusarium venenatum mycoprotein (MP) has been achieved through CRISPR/Cas9 gene knockout technology without introducing exogenous genes. The gene-edited strain exhibits favorable performance at industrial fermentation scale. This work provides compelling evidence for the functional enhancement of environmentally friendly gene-edited MP foods.
  
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• Scientists Grow More Hopeful About Ending a Global Organ Shortage

  12-11-2025 11:00 via nytimes.com
  At an international conference, researchers at the forefront of animal-human transplantation compared notes and allowed themselves the first real optimism in decades.
  
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• One-pot production of colored bacterial cellulose

  12-11-2025 01:00 via cell.com
  Zhou et al. report the one-pot production of colored bacterial cellulose (BC) as a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based fabrics. Metabolic engineering enhanced colorant yields, while co-culture optimization enabled the first reported production of multicolored BC, presenting a promising strategy for eco-friendly textile manufacturing.
  
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• China busca conquistar el envejecimiento

  11-11-2025 19:59 via nytimes.com
  Los laboratorios de longevidad, las “islas de la inmortalidad” y las pastillas de semillas de uva forman parte del proyecto chino para vencer al envejecimiento.
  
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• La búsqueda de China de conquistar el envejecimiento

  10-11-2025 19:24 via nytimes.com
  Los laboratorios de longevidad, las “islas de la inmortalidad” y pastillas de semillas de uva forman parte del proyecto chino para vencer al envejecimiento.
  
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• Inside China’s Quest to Defy Aging with Longevity Labs and ‘Immortality Islands’

  08-11-2025 06:05 via nytimes.com
  Longevity labs, “immortality islands” and grapeseed pills are part of China’s national project to conquer aging, despite sometimes shaky science and extravagant claims.
  
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• Toward standardization of upscaled manufacturing of extracellular vesicles in hollow-fiber bioreactors

  07-11-2025 01:00 via cell.com
  Hollow-fiber bioreactor cultivation enables scalable and standardized production of extracellular vesicles from dental pulp stem cells (DPSC-EVs). The system preserves their angiogenic and anti-inflammatory functions while enhancing manufacturing consistency. This strategy enhances the translational potential of DPSC-EVs, supporting their consistent and scalable use in regenerative therapies.
  
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• Integrated Tn-seq and MAGE-assisted rapid genome engineering targeting in Escherichia coli

  06-11-2025 01:00 via cell.com
  We developed an integrated platform that combines in situ transposon mutagenesis, biosensor-guided selection, and multiplex automated genome engineering. This approach significantly accelerates the identification of novel knockout target genes and their combinatorial effects, thereby facilitating efficient microbial engineering for enhancing valuable biochemical production.
  
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• F.D.A. Moves to Speed Approvals for Cheaper Copycat Drugs

  30-10-2025 17:13 via nytimes.com
  The agency announced moves to cut regulatory obstacles for the makers of biosimilar drugs, which are akin to generics and may help lower drug costs.
  
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• Upscaled open-culture production of microbial flocculants from industrial wastewaters

  30-10-2025 01:00 via cell.com
  There is an increasing need for finding cost-effective alternatives to synthetic polymers. We demonstrate sustained production of microbial exopolymers from wastewater, with flocculating properties comparable to commercial polyacrylamide. This technology enables upcycling of residual feedstocks to increase circularity in water treatment and avoid chemicals with negative health and environmental impacts.
  
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• Precision tumor immunotherapy via a dual-gated macrophage–bacterial activation platform

  30-10-2025 01:00 via cell.com
  This study developed Macrophage-Bacteria encapsulation Lytic Autoactivated Synergistic Therapeutics (M-BLAST), a dual-gated system using engineered macrophages to deliver attenuated Salmonella to tumors. Local near-infrared irradiation at the tumor site triggers a heat shock promoter-mediated pyroptosis in macrophages, leading to synchronized bacterial burst release and a cascade of antitumor immune activation, while effectively minimizing off-target effects.
  
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• Genome-scale CRISPRi and base-editing libraries for genetic decoding and strain engineering in Shewanella

  30-10-2025 01:00 via cell.com
  Shewanella oneidensis, an electroactive microbe, was equipped with genome-scale clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) interference and base-editing libraries to systematically link genes to phenotypes. These tools revealed candidate essential genes and expanded substrate utilization for electricity generation, providing a versatile framework for functional genomics and microbial engineering in bioelectrochemical applications.
  
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• Cryobioprinted human tumor models with shelf-stable programmability

  29-10-2025 01:00 via cell.com
  Storable pancreatic tumor–stroma models were fabricated using tissue-specific and cryoprotective bioinks. Cryobioprinting and cryopreservation did not significantly affect the bioengineered constructs, given that thawed 3D in vitro models retained key hallmarks found in the native neoplasia.
  
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• A durable hydrogel-encapsulated biohybrid for sustainable triclosan bioremediation

  29-10-2025 01:00 via cell.com
  An engineered Pseudomonas knackmussii encapsulated in a magnetic biochar–hydrogel achieves stable triclosan removal by coupling adsorption with biodegradation. This biohybrid platform ensures biosafety, operational resilience, and scalability, offering a generalizable strategy for emerging contaminant remediation.
  
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• Efficient ergothioneine production through reconstruction of the methyl and sulfur supply systems in Escherichia coli

  25-10-2025 02:00 via cell.com
  We developed a cost-effective ergothioneine biosynthesis strategy in Escherichia coli by integrating a betaine-driven methyl supply and inorganic sulfur module, eliminating costly amino acid supplementation. This approach enhances yields, lowers costs, and establishes a versatile platform for producing diverse methyl- and sulfur-containing natural products with broad biomanufacturing potential.
  
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• DNAJC14 gene-edited pigs are resistant to classical pestiviruses

  22-10-2025 02:00 via cell.com
  CRISPR/Cas9 editing of pig DNAJC14 resulted in animals that were completely resistant to in vivo challenge with classical swine fever virus, highlighting the pivotal role of this host protein in classical pestivirus infections and providing a novel strategy to improve livestock health, enhance animal welfare, and reduce economic losses.
  
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• Phyllis Gardner, Early Skeptic of Theranos, Dies at 75

  13-10-2025 17:59 via nytimes.com
  A pharmacologist, she was certain Elizabeth Holmes’s blood-testing idea would fail, and spoke up about it. At first, few listened.
  
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• The A.I. Prompt That Could End the World

  11-10-2025 04:06 via nytimes.com
  A destructive A.I., like a nuclear bomb, is now a concrete possibility; the question is whether anyone will be reckless enough to build one.
  
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• A reversible genetic NOR gate in plants using translational repression

  06-10-2025 02:00 via cell.com
  A reversible genetic NOR circuit is implemented in tobacco plants, with exposure to chemical inducers as inputs and GFP as output. A mathematical model of the circuit’s mechanism is proposed and validated. The design methodology is versatile and analogous to electronic circuit design, enabling easy adaptation to other applications
  
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• Bioinspired thermoreversible bioink orchestrates focal adhesion-dependent osteogenesis

  02-10-2025 02:00 via cell.com
  A bioinspired, multi-material bioprinting platform integrates a bone extracellular matrix–mimetic bioink with a load-bearing calcium phosphate phase, achieving mechanical strength 200× greater compared with conventional bioprints. By leveraging focal adhesion to orchestrate osteogenesis, this modular, bioresorbable platform bridges mechanical integrity and biological function for personalized, load-bearing bone reconstruction.
  
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• Trump’s Pharma Tariffs Spare Richest Drugmakers

  27-09-2025 01:05 via nytimes.com
  The details of the president’s proposed tariffs were not clear. But it seemed that many big companies would qualify for exemptions.
  
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• Emerging applications of carbon dots in plant (epi)genomics

  25-09-2025 02:00 via cell.com
  Carbon dots (CDs) have broad applications across life sciences. This forum highlights the most recent breakthroughs of CDs in plant genomics and epigenomics, including gene transcription, their roles as carriers for delivering DNA, RNA, and agrochemicals in gene expression/silencing, and their utility in genomic and epigenomic studies. Potential future directions are proposed.
  
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• Virus-like particles as modular interfaces for biomaterial functionalization

  23-09-2025 02:00 via cell.com
  This study showcases virus-like particles (VLPs) as customizable nanoscale scaffolds for biomaterial surface functionalization. Using modified VLPs, we achieve high density display and confinement of bioactive peptides, offering a modular, animal-free, and cost-effective alternative to native extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
  
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• Staying productive under pressure: systems evaluations of β-carotene production in Yarrowia lipolytica under continuous fermentation

  22-09-2025 02:00 via cell.com
  This integrative experimental and modeling study explores how fermentation conditions affect β-carotene production in Yarrowia lipolytica. Oil-based feedstocks enhance stability in continuous fermentation compared with glucose, while high-yielding laboratory strains often falter in industrial bioreactors, where faster-growing but less productive variants dominate under stress and determine long-term outcomes.
  
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• Nanobotic microbiomes against emerging vascular pathogens in agriculture

  17-09-2025 02:00 via cell.com
  Vascular diseases in plants are exceptionally difficult to control. Escalating global climate change further increases the risks of outbreaks from existing and emerging pathogens. Nano-enabled microbiome engineering (NME) represents an innovative framework for targeted vascular plant pathogen control, offering a sustainable platform to enhance agricultural resilience and productivity.
  
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• U.S. Drugmakers Warn White House of Chaos as Trump Weighs Curbs on China

  13-09-2025 04:21 via nytimes.com
  Behind the scenes, major pharmaceutical companies and Trump-tied billionaires are furiously lobbying in opposite directions over proposed anti-China measures.
  
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• The metabolic guide to space survival

  13-09-2025 02:00 via cell.com
  The Metabolic Guide to Space Survival (https://kristinapulejkova.com/the-metabolic-guide-to-space-survival/) is a multidisciplinary exploration of microbial life as a key to long-term survival in space. Framed through the voice of fictional character Chief Bioengineer Mira Kordan, the work unfolds across a speculative design toolkit, a narrative guidebook, and an architectural installation animated by holographic projections of Mira navigating life in zero gravity. The piece was created by Londo
  
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• Semi-automated biofoundry workflows for sequence coevolution-guided isoprene synthase engineering

  12-09-2025 02:00 via cell.com
  We developed biofoundry workflows for efficient enzyme engineering, integrating a simple and accessible computational tool with automation to reduce time and resources. Using this approach, isoprene synthase was engineered for enhanced catalytic efficiency and thermostability, and also enhanced methane-to-isoprene conversion when applied to methanotrophs, highlighting its potential for methane-based biomanufacturing.
  
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• Sustainable protection of multiple hosts against polyphagous pests using Plant Probiotic-Based Gene Silencing

  10-09-2025 02:00 via cell.com
  RNAi controls pests efficiently but faces limitations in managing polyphagous species due to insufficient persistence or narrow-spectrum plant protection. Plant Probiotic-based Gene Silencing uses engineered probiotics that can colonize various plants to deliver dsRNA, enabling sustainable protection of multiple host plants of polyphagous pests.
  
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• Ethical and legal considerations of digital animal models: pioneering reduction and replacement

  10-09-2025 02:00 via cell.com
  The development of digital animal models represents a promising avenue for advancing the ethical principles of reduction and replacement in biomedical research. This paper discusses the potential of models built upon artificial intelligence (AI)-generated synthetic datasets simulating the characteristics and behaviors of model organisms, reducing reliance on live animals in research.
  
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• Metabolic and immunomodulatory control of type 2 diabetes via generating cellular itaconate reservoirs by inflammatory-targeting gene-therapy nanovesicles

  08-09-2025 02:00 via cell.com
  NOD-like receptor (NLR) family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3)+ macrophage accumulation in tissue promotes type 2 diabetes (T2D) progression. However, there is no precise, comprehensive, broad-spectrum inhibitor of the NLRP3 inflammasome for T2D therapy. We developed gene-therapy nanovesicles to regulate cellular itaconate production and mitochondrial function. This technology enables metabolic and immunomodulatory control of T2D.
  
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• Making cow-free caseins and casein micelles

  08-09-2025 02:00 via cell.com
  A key step in the precision fermentation of casein proteins is correct phosphorylation to generate one or more short linear sequence motifs (SLiMs) containing three or more phosphorylated seryl residues. The work of Balasubramanian et al. takes us a step closer to that goal by showing that two bacterial phosphokinases are promising alternatives to the mammalian Golgi phosphokinases and casein kinase-II.
  
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• Highly efficient prime editors for mammalian genome editing based on porcine retrovirus reverse transcriptase

  30-08-2025 02:00 via cell.com
  This study developed a highly efficient prime editing system (pvPE) based on porcine endogenous retroviral reverse transcriptase. Through extensive engineering and nocodazole treatment, pvPE achieved robust multigene editing in porcine fibroblasts, which generated Alzheimer’s disease pig models, offering a versatile platform for agricultural and biomedical applications.
  
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• Targeting RAS-mutant cancer cells using a synthetic RAS-activated cancer killing system

  29-08-2025 02:00 via cell.com
  The RAS-activated cancer killing (RACK) system rewires cancer cells to self-destruct by leveraging their own oncogenic RAS signals. This synthetic circuit eradicates resistant tumors, including historically ‘undruggable’ mutants, while sparing healthy tissue, offering a smart and adaptable strategy to outpace cancer evolution.
  
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• Membrane-targeted DNA frameworks with biodegradability recover cellular function and morphology from frozen cells

  29-08-2025 02:00 via cell.com
  DNA frameworks, nanostructures engineered from DNA, preserve cells by anchoring to membranes, inhibiting cellular ice growth, and degrading autonomously after thawing. These biodegradable cryoprotectants outperform conventional agents, improve recovery and function of frozen macrophage cells, and offer a promising strategy for biopreservation in research and therapeutic applications.
  
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• Extended human lymph node explants for evaluation of adaptive immunity

  29-08-2025 02:00 via cell.com
  This study presents a hydrogel-based platform that preserves patient-derived lymph node slices ex vivo, maintaining viability, architecture, and immune function. The model enables robust responses to tumor dissociates and mRNA vaccines, offering a powerful tool for studying human immunity and accelerating vaccine and immunotherapy development.
  
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• Engineering infrared light detection in blind human retina using ultrasensitive human TRPV1 channels

  29-08-2025 02:00 via cell.com
  We engineered a human transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) variant the thermal threshold of which matches near-infrared microheating. Delivered by adeno-associated virus (AAV) to blind human retina, the novel single-component channel elicited robust, graded infrared responses without foreign proteins or nanoparticles, offering an opsin-free route to vision restoration and a platform for broader clinical-use thermal neuromodulation.
  
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• Development of a high-efficiency N-acetylneuraminic acid production platform through multi-pathway synergistic engineering

  29-08-2025 02:00 via cell.com
  This study leverages artificial intelligence (AI)-driven enzyme mining and metabolic reprogramming for precise precursor control, alongside dual-carbon source synergy, establishing a cost-effective N-acetylneuraminic acid (NeuAc) biomanufacturing platform. This systematic synthetic biotechnology framework not only elevates NeuAc yields, but also offers generalizable solutions to persistent bottlenecks in microbial-based bioproduction.
  
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• Biomechanics in miniature: microfluidic-based in vitro modeling to decipher mechanobiological phenomena

  29-08-2025 02:00 via cell.com
  Mechanobiology is a rapidly advancing field, offering innovative insights and therapeutic strategies for a range of pathophysiological conditions. Central to this progress is the ability to replicate complex cellular and tissue microenvironments in vitro. Microfluidic systems, with their precision-engineered designs, dynamic fluid control, and spatial manipulation, serve as versatile platforms for this purpose. By effectively integrating modeling and sensing capabilities, these systems further p
  
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