Wide Angle: Synthetic Biology

Synthetic biologists engineer artificial, microbial life. Their work could lead to life-saving drugs and new kinds of fuel. Find out how by diving into our Wide Angle on synthetic biology.

• News: Mutating HIV To Death
  Scientists are testing a new drug that actually speeds up HIV's mutation in the hope that the deadly virus will mutate itself to death.

• News: Venter Lab Makes Progress on Artificial Life
  Scientists have discovered a more efficient way of building a synthetic genome that could one day enable them to create artificial life, according to a study.

• My Take: Do Synthetic Biologists Play God?
  In the lab, researchers are creating artificial, microbial life. Is that playing God? And, if so, is it wrong? Bioethicist Arthur Caplan gives us his take.

• Slide Show: What Would You Tell Darwin?
  Synthetic biologists engineer artificial, microbial life. Their work could lead to life-saving drugs and new kinds of fuel. But how would the scientists explain synthetic biology to Darwin? We asked 15 of them; here's what they said.

• Blog: Super Duper Sustantainable Stuff Will Synthetic Bio Save the Planet?
  Caltech chemical engineering and biochemistry professor Frances Arnold makes the case that it can.

• Video: Scientists Turn Wood Into Fuel
  By chemically modifying certain molecules, researchers can turn organic waste -- such as that from corn harvests and lumberyards -- into synthetic gas. See the video.

• Top 10: Genetically Modified Foods
  Some say genetically engineered plants wreak havoc with human health and nature. Others argue that engineered crops reduce global food shortages, insidious pests, weeds and extreme weather.

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