Navigation Links
iGEM team helps prevent rogue use of synthetic biology
Date:10/17/2010

A team of students from ENSIMAG, an engineering school in Grenoble, France, and Virginia Tech is using bioinformatics to implement federal guidance on synthetic genomics. The students' work will help gene synthesis companies and their customers better detect the possible use of manufactured DNA as harmful agents for bioterrorism.

Synthetic biology offers huge potential for practical applications in medicine, energy production, agriculture, and other areas. For a few thousand dollars, it is now possible to design custom DNA sequences the size of a viral genome, order these sequences from a DNA manufacturer, and receive the DNA in the mail within a few weeks. Experts are concerned, however, about the potential misuse of these emerging technologies and that is where the student's project could play a key role in preventing synthetic biology malpractice.

Jean Peccoud, associate professor at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech and leader of Virginia Tech's iGEM initiatives, said, "The students have taken great strides in implementing different possible interpretations of the federal recommendations. Their work characterizes the relationship between the computational cost of the screen and its sensitivity. This independent scientific analysis will identify practical solutions compatible with the operational constraints of commercial operators and refine policies aimed at protecting the nation without undermining its competitiveness."

Algorithms under development assess how similar a specific DNA sequence is to entries in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Select Agent and Toxin List. Keyword lists help to track down matches and allow for continual fine-tuning of the effectiveness of each search. The students are compiling a database of test cases that allows them to estimate the performance of different screening strategies.

Edward You, supervisory special agent in the Federal Bureau of Inve
'/>"/>

Contact: Barry Whyte
whyte@vbi.vt.edu
540-231-1767
Virginia Tech
Source:Eurekalert

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2

Related biology technology :

1. Healthcare Network Helps Fund Scholarships Totaling $15,000
2. US Oncology Helps Deliver Latest Cancer Therapies Through Local Community Access to Cutting Edge Research
3. iGEM team helps prevent rogue use of synthetic biology
4. Bigge Helps Build New USTAR Complex at the University of Utah
5. Elekta / Mitsubishi Electric Collaboration Helps Japans Gunma University Heavy Ion Medical Center Launch Advanced Carbon Ion Therapy for Treating Cancer
6. Online Video of InVitria's Zap-CHO Helps Scientists Maximize CHO Cell Culture Performance
7. Thermofab Helps Brookfield Engineering Move To A Compact Custom Plastic Enclosure
8. Cryo-Cell Internationals Stem Cell Research and Development Helps the Fight Against Breast Cancer
9. FLAVORx Helps Families Fight Pandemic H1N1 Influenza Virus By Making Antiviral Medicine Taste Better
10. New Call Center Helps Ovarian Cancer Patients Cope With Challenges of Diagnosis
11. MRI simulation of blood flow helps plan childs delicate heart surgery
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
(Date:5/23/2013)... 2013  BioScrip, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIOS ) ... Jefferies 2013 Global Healthcare Conference to be held June ... Richard Smith , President and ... , Chief Financial Officer, will present on Monday, June ... About BioScrip BioScrip, Inc. provides comprehensive ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... Graphite Metallizing Corporation announces a ... in stainless steel pillow blocks. This series combines ... the application and installation versatility of pillow blocks. ... work exceptionally well when submerged in water, water-soluble ... as acids, alkalies, hydrocarbons, black liquor, and liquid ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... , May 23, 2013 PuraMed BioScience ... and marketer of over-the-counter (OTC) medicinal and healthcare ... opinion on the company based on low market ... , Non-Prescription, All Natural Product to Treat Migraine ... Outperforms #1 Prescription Competitor , Currently Available ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) May 23, 2013 ... do-it-yourselfers who encourage all types of inventions. They focus ... we’re now noticing this community gravitate toward bringing their ... community, the DIY Biology Movement, works on making projects ... sequencing the DNA of plants to make them glow ...
Breaking Biology Technology:Graphite Metallizing Now Offers GRAPHALLOY® Stainless Steel Pillow Blocks for Success in Submersible Applications 2Graphite Metallizing Now Offers GRAPHALLOY® Stainless Steel Pillow Blocks for Success in Submersible Applications 3PuraMed BioScience (PMBS) Issued Alert Based on Market Cap of $721,756 2PuraMed BioScience (PMBS) Issued Alert Based on Market Cap of $721,756 3Glowing Plant Releases Maker Kit, Enabling Anyone to Make a Glowing Plant at Home 2
... in over 60% of evaluable patients -, SEOUL, ... ) today reported interim data from an ongoing phase ... non-small cell,lung cancer (NSCLC). This open-label phase 2 trial ... IV NSCLC who have adenocarcinoma,histology and meet one of ...
... - A NASA-developed innovative process is making waves ... of new companies in the process. A new ... NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,s unique single-walled carbon ... high-quality, low-cost SWCNTs available commercially. , Potential ...
... Institute (TCI), a Los,Angeles-based DNA and genomics research ... new office in the heart of Boston,s legal ... effects of,chemical and toxic exposures on human health ... Reach Consulting, TCI now offers a,range of business, ...
Cached Biology Technology:Exelixis Reports Encouraging Interim Data From a Phase 2 Trial of XL647 as First-Line Therapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer 2Exelixis Reports Encouraging Interim Data From a Phase 2 Trial of XL647 as First-Line Therapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer 3Exelixis Reports Encouraging Interim Data From a Phase 2 Trial of XL647 as First-Line Therapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer 4NASA technology forms the basis for a new nanotechnology company 2Revolutionary Genomics Research Group Opens Boston Office; Provides DNA Evidence in Workers Comp Cases 2
(Date:5/23/2013)... 2013) A new report from the Institute of ... engage in at least 60 minutes of vigorous or ... more than half of American youth meet current evidence-based ... moderate intensity physical activity daily, according to the report, ... in school for nearly half of their waking hours, ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... Neuron , the team reveal the interplay of brain ... by the Wellcome Trust and BBSRC. , By ... improve our perceptual abilities. While these changes can affect ... affect the fidelity of that response. , ... "When you communicate with others, you can make yourself ...
(Date:5/22/2013)... to improve durability in fuel cell powered buses, ... discovered links between electrode degradation processes and bus ... effects of electrode degradation stressors in the operating ... , The findings of the study, led by ... in a long-term study at Burnaby-based Ballard Power ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):Schools should provide students with daily physical activity, IOM recommends 2Tests lead to doubling of fuel cell life 2
... yeast, worms, and flies keeps blood sugar under control ... Cell Metabolism. The findings suggest therapeutic interventions for the ... 2 diabetes, which frequently arise with age, the researchers ... excess of the protein Sirt1 in cells of the ...
... hospital-acquired infections can persist for days and even ... including bed linens, computer keyboard covers and acrylic ... 105th General Meeting of the American Society for ... major cause of hospital-acquired infections in the United ...
... study in the July 18 issue of The Journal ... harmful than their unpigmented relatives. A group of scientists ... discovered that the molecules that give certain bugs their ... called neutrophils. , Scientists and clinicians have known for ...
Cached Biology News:Sea Ice May Be on Increase in the Antarctic 2