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Recent far-reaching advances in synthetic biology have yielded exciting tools for the creation of new materials. Conversely, advances in the fundamental understanding of soft-condensed matter, polymers and biomaterials offer new avenues to extend the reach of synthetic biology. The broad and exciting range of possible applications have substantial implications to address grand challenges in health, biotechnology and sustainability. Despite the potentially transformative impact that lies at the interface of synthetic biology and biomaterials, the two fields have, so far, progressed mostly separately. This Perspective provides a review of recent key advances in these two fields, and a roadmap for collaboration at the interface between the two communities. We highlight the near-term applications of this interface to the development of hierarchically structured biomaterials, from bioinspired building blocks to 'living' materials that sense and respond based on the reciprocal interactions between materials and embedded cells.

Our nationwide network of BME women faculty collectively argue that racial funding disparity by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) remains the most insidious barrier to success of Black faculty in our profession. We thus refocus attention on this critical barrier and suggest solutions on how it can be dismantled.

The international AfroBiotech conference series, launched in 2019 in Atlanta, GA, USA, is an emerging platform to foster innovation, promote inclusivity, and highlight the contributions of Black scientists in the biotechnology sector. Led by scientists and engineers from the African Diaspora community, these conferences serve as a vital forum for networking, sharing groundbreaking research, and addressing health disparities, thereby advancing both scientific excellence and social equity in biotech. This review discusses the mission and impact of AfroBiotech and highlights similar conferences, particularly in regard to addressing the legacy of disparities in science and engineering in the US. An in-depth overview of AfroBiotech attendees, over 100 per year, from diverse sectors including academia, industry, and government is provided. This review also highlights the research presented at AfroBiotech by scientists in regenerative engineering, medical biotechnology, genomics and genetics, computational and systems biology, nanotechnology and biochemistry, and immunological and microbiome engineering. Activities to support an inclusive workforce are also discussed. Through fostering an inclusive environment, AfroBiotech is on a trajectory to inspire a new generation of scientists and pave the way for a diverse and equitable biotechnological future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Plant biotechnology can be leveraged to produce food, fuel, medicine, and materials. Standardized methods advocated by the synthetic biology community can accelerate the plant design cycle, ultimately making plant engineering more widely accessible to bioengineers who can contribute diverse creative input to the design process. Results This paper presents work done largely by undergraduate students participating in the 2010 International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) competition. Described here is a framework for engineering the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana with standardized, BioBrick compatible vectors and parts available through the Registry of Standard Biological Parts (http://www.partsregistry.org). This system was used to engineer a proof-of-concept plant that exogenously expresses the taste-inverting protein miraculin. Conclusions Our work is intended to encourage future iGEM teams and other synthetic biologists to use plants as a genetic chassis. Our workflow simplifies the use of standardized parts in plant systems, allowing the construction and expression of heterologous genes in plants within the timeframe allotted for typical iGEM projects.

The article discusses the backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in various sectors, including the introduction of state bills and laws targeting diversity programs in the United States. It highlights the concern that some DEI initiatives may lack serious impact and be used for virtue-signaling or self-congratulatory purposes. The article emphasizes the importance of a coalition of committed organizations, grassroots movements, and individuals to mitigate the regressive actions and advance equity and justice. The special issue of GEN Biotechnology showcases efforts to advance DEI in the biotechnology field, including articles on workforce inclusivity, postdoctoral training, AfroBiotech conferences, neglected tropical diseases, diverse human genome databases, and the impact of social exclusion on marginalized communities in STEM education and careers. The article concludes by emphasizing the need for platforms to share analysis, critiques, and data to support DEI activities. [Extracted from the article]

The banded portion of Drosophila melanogaster chromosome 4 exhibits euchromatic and heterochromatic characteristics. Reminiscent of heterochromatin, it contains a high percentage of repetitive elements, does not undergo recombination, and exhibits high levels of HP1 and histone-3 lysine-9 dimethylation. However, in the distal 1.2 Mb, the gene density is typical of euchromatin, and this region is polytene in salivary gland nuclei. Using P-element reporters carrying a copy of hsp70-white, alternative chromatin packaging domains can be distinguished by the eye color phenotype. Mapping studies identified the repetitive element 1360as a candidate for heterochromatin targeting in the fourth chromosome Hcf region. We report here two new screens using this reporter to look for additional heterochromatin target sites. We confirm that reporter elements within 10 kb of 1360 are usually packaged as heterochromatin; however, heterochromatin packaging occurs in the sv region in the absence of 1360. Analyses of the sequences adjacent to P-element reporters show no simple association between specific repeated elements and transgene expression phenotype on a whole chromosome level. The data require that heterochromatin formation as a whole depends on a more complex pattern of sequence organization rather than the presence of a single sequence element.

Studies of transcriptional gene silencing in Drosophila melanogaster suggest that most of chromosome 4 resembles pericentric heterochromatin. However, some modifiers of position-effect variegation, including chromosome 4 dosage and loss of SU (VAR)3-9, have different effects on silencing in pericentric vs. distal arm chromosome 4 heterochromatin, distinguishing these two heterochromatin types.

Abstract Background We investigated the possibility of executing DNA-based computation in living cells by engineering Escherichia coli to address a classic mathematical puzzle called the Burnt Pancake Problem (BPP). The BPP is solved by sorting a stack of distinct objects (pancakes) into proper order and orientation using the minimum number of manipulations. Each manipulation reverses the order and orientation of one or more adjacent objects in the stack. We have designed a system that uses site-specific DNA recombination to mediate inversions of genetic elements that represent pancakes within plasmid DNA. Results Inversions (or "flips") of the DNA fragment pancakes are driven by the Salmonella typhimurium Hin/hix DNA recombinase system that we reconstituted as a collection of modular genetic elements for use in E. coli. Our system sorts DNA segments by inversions to produce different permutations of a promoter and a tetracycline resistance coding region; E. coli cells become antibiotic resistant when the segments are properly sorted. Hin recombinase can mediate all possible inversion operations on adjacent flippable DNA fragments. Mathematical modeling predicts that the system reaches equilibrium after very few flips, where equal numbers of permutations are randomly sorted and unsorted. Semiquantitative PCR analysis of in vivo flipping suggests that inversion products accumulate on a time scale of hours or days rather than minutes. Conclusion The Hin/hix system is a proof-of-concept demonstration of in vivo computation with the potential to be scaled up to accommodate larger and more challenging problems. Hin/hix may provide a flexible new tool for manipulating transgenic DNA in vivo.