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From engineering bacteria that degrade plastics to microbes that produce antibiotics, fuel and vegan milk, synthetic biology is revolutionizing the world as we know it. Soon, this discipline will enable applications that would have sounded like sci-fi a decade ago, in sectors as diverse as energy sourcing, health or agriculture. However, behind these applications, there [...]

By |2020-12-23T11:10:28+01:00December 23rd, 2020|BactToTheFuture, R4B Biotechnology, R4B Stories|0 Comments

Microbial biofactories: the miniature workhorses of modern industry

From their first uses in the fermentation of alcoholic drinks almost 10000 years ago, to their current role in yielding a wide range of compounds such as drugs, soaps and food, microbes are changing the industry for good   These tiny organisms, along with the efforts of synbio scientists and years of research, are quickly becoming [...]

By |2020-10-16T11:28:09+02:00October 16th, 2020|R4B Biotechnology, R4B Stories|0 Comments

Green SynBio: Bacteria for a sustainable planet

Large numbers of species on the brink of extinction, rising global temperatures, air, water and soil pollution - these and other events are causing an unprecedented environmental crisis that the world is facing nowadays. At first sight, the forecast is unfavourable, and scientific studies point to human activities as the main cause for this shady [...]

By |2020-09-17T12:09:04+02:00September 17th, 2020|R4B Biotechnology, R4B Stories|0 Comments

Bacillus subtilis: synbio applications from the cell to the spore

When it comes to using microorganisms in the biotech industry, we can say there are two main kinds of scientists: those who work with Escherichia coli in their labs, and those who prefer Bacillus subtilis. These two bacteria species can be considered as counterparts: they belong to opposed groups in the Gram classification, a test [...]

By |2020-08-19T11:10:15+02:00August 19th, 2020|R4B Biotechnology, R4B Stories|0 Comments

Microbial food: from the lab to your table

In the last decades, synthetic biology has provided scientists with a wide range of experimental tools to engineer organisms for many different purposes. That’s what we have been doing in fields like drug production, energy sourcing, waste treatment… It was a matter of time for this technology to be used in the food industry! The [...]

By |2020-07-22T12:04:45+02:00July 22nd, 2020|R4B Biotechnology, R4B Stories|0 Comments

Born in iGEM: synthetic biology projects that turned into start-ups

Microorganisms that can munch on plastic waste. Bacteria that detect land mines. Microbes that can produce spider silk. Only twenty years ago, any of these applications would have been science fiction. But now, these and more wonders are within our reach, and we have synthetic biology to thank. The ability to engineer microorganisms is already [...]

By |2020-06-25T11:32:18+02:00June 25th, 2020|R4B Biotechnology, R4B Stories|0 Comments

E. coli: a bacterium that can kill you… or save your life

If you google “E. coli”, you’ll quickly see that this bacterium has a bad reputation. The first results are related to infections and food safety issues. However, if you ask scientists, you will find that they fall no short when praising its advantages. It is one of the model organisms most widely used in synthetic [...]

By |2020-05-29T15:46:30+02:00May 20th, 2020|R4B Biotechnology, R4B Stories|0 Comments

Bacteria that munch on CO2 and brew bioplastics

The climate crisis is a pressing and complex matter that requires varied, innovative solutions: manufacturers changing the way they produce consumer goods, regulations that foster those changes, and social movements that support the shifts, to mention a few. Today we want to talk about how synthetic biology is helping with it: transforming the raw CO2 [...]

By |2020-01-21T14:27:50+01:00December 17th, 2019|R4B Biotechnology, R4B meets other projects|0 Comments

The beauty and the vitamins: biofactories for the cosmetic industry

Grooming and beauty are important issues in modern societies. You only need to turn on the TV to see a lot of commercials offering anti-aging treatments, make-ups in all colours and shapes and products designed to take care of the skin. The importance of cosmetics is currently overwhelming and, consequently, its market weight in economy [...]

By |2019-05-29T15:26:03+02:00May 27th, 2019|R4B Biotechnology, R4B news, R4B Study Case|0 Comments

R4B microorganisms: Escherichia coli

Some weeks ago we introduce you to one of the two model organisms that we use at Rafts4Biotech, B. subtilis. Today is time for the other main character of our investigation Escherichia coli ! Discover all about this microbe at a glance!

By |2018-12-19T15:08:59+01:00December 19th, 2018|R4B Biotechnology, R4B news, R4B Stories|0 Comments

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This is the R4B blog. Here you will find all about the progress of our project and regular posts about the experience and expertise of our partners. If you are interested in learning about the power of Synthetic Biology, the amazing features of microorganisms and their biotechnological applications stay tuned and follow our updates!

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