Brick-part biology

The iGEM Biobrick trophy

The new interdisciplinary field of synthetic biology aims to make biology controllable, predictable and designable. It opens the door to engineering organisms to do whatever you want: produce life-saving drugs cheaply, generate energy, or detect and clear waste from a polluted lake.

I talked to some of the leading researchers in the field  and the organisers of iGEM, a unique competition for undergraduates that is helping to push the boundaries of synthetic biology using ‘biobricks’.

Read the article on the Wellcome Trust website

Image credit: Gos Micklem