Biotechnology news

• Characterization and engineering of highly efficient Cas12j genome editors

  13-03-2026 01:00 via cell.com
  This study identifies and engineers compact Cas12j genome editors from viral metagenomes. By enhancing their activity through exonuclease fusion and enabling precise base editing via deaminase coupling in mammalian cells, these advances expand the CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) toolbox and support the development of genome-editing strategies suited for delivery-constrained therapeutic applications.
  
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• China’s Rise in Drug Development Looms Over U.S.

  31-05-2026 18:07 via nytimes.com
  Clinical trials in China are getting attention at an international oncology gathering in Chicago. China’s surging biotechnology industry is fueling alarm that U.S. dominance in the field is waning.
  
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• Reprogramming halophilic life for low-salt biomanufacturing

  16-05-2026 02:00 via cell.com
  By reengineering Halomonas bluephagenesis to grow and produce polyhydroxybutyrate under low-salinity, open conditions, Sun et al. transform salinity from a fixed physiological constraint into a bioprocess variable. This study reframes halophilic chassis design for more flexible and sustainable industrial biomanufacturing.
  
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• Blue at the edge

  07-05-2026 02:00 via cell.com
  ‘Blue at the Edge’ was created using C-phycocyanin (C-PC)-containing total soluble protein extract from extremophilic Galdieria. The painting portrays a moonlit desert, a quiet terrain that appears lifeless, but in a vibrant living blue made from algae. This visual contrasts the acidic, high-temperature environments where Galdieria thrives—inhospitable habitats that actually sustain metabolically versatile life. This alga thrives under elevated CO2 in complete darkness and very low pH on a
  
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• The Rich and Powerful Want to Live Forever

  24-04-2026 11:02 via nytimes.com
  From the Kremlin to Silicon Valley, some of the most powerful people in the world now want something more: eternal life.
  
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• Scientific breakthrough versus successful startup: teaching scientists to navigate bench to business

  08-04-2026 02:00 via cell.com
  Scientific breakthroughs infrequently translate into startups without structured training. Stanford’s BioEntrepreneurship Bootcamp teaches a practical framework for navigating bench-to-business translation. The curriculum integrates instruction on intellectual property, team formation, risk assessments, milestone-based funding, and investor communication, with the goal of equipping scientists to advance discoveries into viable ventures.
  
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• How to Turn a Chicken Egg Into a Drug Factory

  26-03-2026 14:00 via nytimes.com
  A biotech start-up is testing a novel way of efficiently producing pharmaceutical drugs.
  
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• Utilizing biomolecular condensates as electrochemical reactors

  25-03-2026 01:00 via cell.com
  Liquid–liquid phase separation and biomolecular condensates have received massive fundamental research interest in recent years. Yu et al. engineered self-assembling, genetically encoded biomaterials that function as electrochemical reactors. Their work demonstrates the great utility of these materials in nanoparticle synthesis, pollutant degradation, and inhibition of bacteria through artificial ferroptosis.
  
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• David Botstein, Gene-Mapping Pioneer, Dies at 83

  20-03-2026 22:25 via nytimes.com
  His method of locating genes in human DNA allowed researchers to find disease-causing genes, and later to map the entire, sprawling human genome.
  
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• Omega-based mini prime- and base-editing systems in Escherichia coli

  16-03-2026 01:00 via cell.com
  Obligate mobile element-guided activity-based prime-editing and base-editing systems represent a significant advancement in gene editing and targeted mutagenesis, enabling precise, programmable mutations in target genes. These compact, high-efficiency systems seamlessly integrate with multiple high-throughput screening technologies, significantly accelerating directed evolution processes and offering powerful tools for genetic engineering and biotechnological applications.
  
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• A new strategy to stabilize gene circuits

  13-03-2026 01:00 via cell.com
  The stability of synthetic gene circuits is limited by cellular growth and division. Zhang et al. demonstrated how engineered condensates of transcription factors can stabilize gene expression and enhance bio-based production. This work establishes the spatial organization of transcription factors through phase separation as a powerful strategy for robust gene expression.
  
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• Control of properties and nutrient content of cultivated foie gras tissues via scaffold and media factors

  12-03-2026 01:00 via cell.com
  We present a proof-of-concept avian cultivated fatty liver prototype inspired by foie gras, using edible, plant-based 3D scaffolds to support chicken hepatocyte lipogenesis. The system reproduces key physical and chemical features of foie gras while enabling nutritional enhancement, providing a scalable and ethical foundation for future species-specific cultivated foie gras development.
  
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• 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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• Industrial perspective validation of a neutralizer-free l-lactic acid production process by engineered acid-tolerant yeast Pichia kudriavzevii

  27-02-2026 01:00 via cell.com
  l-Lactic acid (l-LA) is one of the most important three-carbon chemicals in the world. Its crucial role as the precursor of polylactic acid (PLA) (see Glossary) has led to a soaring demand for l-LA [1]. The global demand for l-LA is estimated to reach $2.67 billion by 2030, at a compound annual growth rate of 11.2% from 2024 to 2030 (https://www.qyresearch.com/industry-news/7036/l-lactic-acid). Microbial fermentation is an industrial production strategy for l-LA. Corbion, NatureWorks, and Henan
  
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• Establishment of a nonhomologous end joining-mediated genomic library in Fusarium fujikuroi for high-level production of gibberellic acid

  26-02-2026 01:00 via cell.com
  NHEJ-mediated genome-wide insertional mutagenesis enables rapid discovery of functional genetic targets and stable integration sites in Fusarium fujikuroi, providing a versatile platform for metabolic engineering and strain improvement.
  
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• Biosensor-guided indexing of genome evolution for boosting microbial chemical synthesis

  24-02-2026 01:00 via cell.com
  This study developed a biosensor-driven genome evolution (BRIDGE) workflow that enables marker-free engineering of microbial hosts. As an example, protocatechuic acid (PCA) overproduction in Pseudomonas putida was achieved by BRIDGE. Considering the great variety of available biosensors, BRIDGE may represent a generalizable framework for biosensor-driven evolution of microbial cell factories.
  
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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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• Engineering Halomonas for low-salt, open, and unsterile production of polyhydroxybutyrate

  11-02-2026 01:00 via cell.com
  Wild-type Halomonas bluephagenesis TD1.0 was engineered to generate an iterative SSM series highly adapted to low-salinity conditions. The multiple strategy approach included genetic engineering, adaptive evolution, production module, and process engineering. Together, these synergistic strategies enabled the construction of broadly salinity-adaptive Halomonas chassis suitable for low-salinity, open, and nonsterile biomanufacturing.
  
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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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• An immune-inspired intelligent aptasensor with broad detection capability

  30-01-2026 01:00 via cell.com
  Biosensor performance is constrained by suboptimal aptamers and conventional aptamer-material combinations. This study introduces an immunity-inspired biomimetic strategy fundamentally refactor aptamer engineering. A core biosensing mechanism is established through target-induced self-assembly of DNA nanosphere-Cu(II) nanozymes. Integrated with a smartphone-based detection platform, the aptamer-nanozyme-based biosensor demonstrates broad detection capabilities.
  
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• Elucidation of odd-chain dicarboxylate metabolism in Acinetobacter baylyi and application to polyethylene upcycling

  28-01-2026 01:00 via cell.com
  An integrated approach combines chemical degradation and biological conversion of postconsumer polyethylene waste into a value-added bioproduct in the nonmodel bacterium Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1. This study provides the genetic basis for applying synthetic biology and systems biology to construct a versatile microbial chassis for bio-upcycling plastic waste, thereby contributing to sustainable biomanufacturing.
  
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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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• Systematic engineering of Micromonospora echinospora cell factory for gentamicin C1a overproduction

  19-01-2026 01:00 via cell.com
  Xu et al. establish an integrated strain–process engineering framework for efficient gentamicin C1a biomanufacturing. By combining genome-scale metabolic modeling, multi-gene regulatory optimization, metabolomics-guided flux analysis, and Bayesian-driven fed-batch control with in situ adsorption, the study reveals redox and energy metabolism as key constraints and enhances yield and productivity.
  
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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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• Precision insect control using programmable modular phage therapy platforms

  18-01-2026 01:00 via cell.com
  The Modular Phage-based Symbiont Targeting system targets gut symbionts of Spodoptera frugiperda, rapidly reversing insecticide resistance. It reduces chemical pesticide use and residue while increasing control efficacy, offering a precise, adaptable, and eco-friendly solution for sustainable management of resistant agricultural pests.
  
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• Engineered coatings containing cyclic peptides from cyanobacteria delay the development of a stable macrofouling community

  13-01-2026 01:00 via cell.com
  Bio-based antifouling coatings incorporating cyanobacterial natural products inhibit biofilm formation and mussel larval settlement at lab scale, outperforming a commercial biocide under real marine conditions by promoting an antifouling–effective biome. This technology provides a promising route toward sustainable, eco-safe antifouling solutions with potential applications across marine ecological management.
  
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• Connector-enabled integration of Golden Gate Assembly and yeast recombination for streamlined multigene pathway construction in the biofoundry workflow

  13-01-2026 01:00 via cell.com
  Microbial bioconversion is a key driver in the modern biotechnology industry, enabling sustainable production of foods, chemicals, fuels, and nutraceuticals [1–3]. Central to this capability is metabolic engineering, which strategically rewires microbial metabolism to synthesize value-added bioproducts [4]. Achieving high-yield production of molecules of interest in microbial hosts often requires introducing heterologous metabolic pathways, enhancing precursor supply, eliminating competing rea
  
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• In situ engineering of synthetic yeast consortia for cross-species metabolic conversion of crude glycerol and byproducts into circular renewable bioenergy

  09-01-2026 01:00 via cell.com
  Shi et al. engineer a synthetic yeast consortium to valorize crude glycerol, a biodiesel waste, into isopropanol. By integrating metabolic cross-feeding with in situ cell pairing and immobilization, this platform establishes a robust, scalable route for transforming industrial byproducts into sustainable energy resources.
  
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• Pipeline and insulated dual-reporter system to predict and quantify strong terminators from RNA-seq datasets for metabolic engineering

  02-01-2026 01:00 via cell.com
  Limited research on transcription termination and a few terminators hinder the efficient construction of microbial cell factories (MCFs). This study develops a pipeline to predict strong genome-wide terminators using RNA-seq data and an insulated dual-reporter system (IDRS) for quantification, offering integrated tools for precise transcription regulation in MCFs.
  
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