3D Printing and Your Liver

Take a moment and imagine this scenario: a terrible accident happens to your close friend and his liver is severely damaged. He'll need a new one but the waiting list for a liver donation is so long that it's unlikely he'll get one in time.

What to do?

Tissue engineering to the rescue. Recent research has blended synthetic biology, 3D printing, and a spoonful of sugar to build you a new liver from scratch.

Tyler DeWitt, Bill Nye, and BioBeans

Have you ever wondered why anyone goes into science? Does it seem boring, dry, uninteresting, uncool, unlikeable and not-your-style? Or maybe, you sometimes secretly wish that you were "smart enough" to be a science geek but you just don't get it? 

If so, we're here to tell you that science isn't the problem. Science is anything but boring, uninteresting and uncool. You're not the problem either. You are definitely smart enough. What needs fixing is the middle man. The teachers. So what can you do to be a better science learner or teacher? Read on ...

PCR for the Masses

Admittedly, molecular biology and synthetic biology have historically been hobbies for the well-off and well-to-do. At least, that is, if a researcher wanted quality equipment. A recent Do It Yourself (DIY) revolution (a.k.a. the Maker revolution, which is closely allied with the Open Source revolution) is attempting to change all that. Here we present to you one example of how clever people are working to bring the tools of biotechnology to your garage or bedroom laboratory. Meet OpenPCR.

iGEM - SynBio for Self Starters

If you find yourself wanting to learn more, and do more with synthetic biology and bioengineering, there is no need to wait until you have a Ph.D. You can start engineering cells immediately through a competition called iGEM.

The International Genetically Engineered Machine competition is the world's premier synthetic biology competition, initially for university students, but now available for high school students as well. Student-led teams design their own projects, work over the course of a summer to build their bug, then they head off to regional, and then the world, competition to see how they measure up.