Genetic Firewalls and Frontiers: Exploring New and Future Developments in Synthetic Biology

Is it possible to make any organism fully resistant to viral infections?

According to new research using E. coli from the Harvard Medical School Department of Genetics, the answer seems to be yes…eventually!

Today, we’re joined by one of the lead researchers in this study, Akos Nyerges. Among many fascinating developments in the fields of genetic engineering and synthetic biology, he discusses the ability to modify existing organisms to achieve desired changes, the use of new DNA building blocks to create synthetic organisms, the most challenging regions of DNA to engineer, and what to expect in the near future.

Press play to discover:

• How an organism can be genetically engineered to have a genetic ‘firewall’ from natural viral infections
• The difference between synthetic genomics and genetic engineering
• Applications of CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology  
• The use of genetically engineered organisms in novel drug development

Tune in for the full conversation, visit Home | Church Lab (harvard.edu) to learn more about Harvard’s Department of Genetics, and feel free to contact Nyerges via email: Akos_Nyerges@hms.harvard.edu.

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Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/30PvU9C