SCIENTISTS BUILD YEAST WITH ARTIFICIAL DNA IN A MAJOR SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY ADVANCE

Summary from the TLDR newsletter

Scientists have created synthetic versions of the 16 chromosomes in a yeast cell and successfully combined some of them in one cell. The feat is a key step towards creating programmable cellular factories. It also revealed sequences in genes that interrupted a key process in cells that led to mitochondria dysfunction. The team is now working to combine all the chromosomes into one cell that can survive. If successful, the technology could be used to produce biofuels, medicines, and other materials using cells.