NC State Receives DARPA Funding to Develop, Test Gene Drive System
For Immediate Release August 3, 2017 John Godwin | 919.513.2936 North Carolina State University researchers have received funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop and test a system that would reduce populations of...Continue reading "NC State Receives DARPA Funding to Develop, Test Gene Drive System"
NC State Receives DARPA Funding to Develop, Test Gene Drive System
Developing and testing a gene drive system to reduce invasive mouse populations is the focus of a DARPA-funded research project....Continue reading "NC State Receives DARPA Funding to Develop, Test Gene Drive System"
CALS, Premex Build Synergistic Relationship
An NC State partnership with international animal nutrition company extends beyond workforce development to research sponsorship and philanthropy....Continue reading "CALS, Premex Build Synergistic Relationship"
GES Co-Directors Gould and Kuzma Quoted in Audubon Story on Using Gene Drives to Save Island Birds
A new story in Audubon Magazine, How Genetically Modified Mice Could One Day Save Island Birds, features quotes from GES Co-Directors Dr. Fred Gould and Dr. Jennifer Kuzma. The article tells the story of how Dr. John Godwin, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, and Ph.D. student Megan Serr became part of GBIRd (Genetic Biocontrol of Invasive Rodents), a global partnership working to save island birds from extinction by using the cutting-edge (and controversial) CRISPR and gene drive technologies to eradicate invasive species of mice....
Sophia Webster
Graduate student Sophia Webster is trying to fight Zika by engineering mosquitoes that won’t spread the disease....
Overcoming Challenges to Infusing Ethics into the Development of Engineers: Proceedings of a Workshop (2017)
While all technologies have societal and ethical implications, emerging technologies (e.g. artificial intelligence and genetic engineering) often pose unique ethical challenges. As advances are made in the fields of engineering, it is vital that issues...
Synthetic Microorganisms for Agricultural Use
By 2050, the world’s population is estimated to exceed 9 billion people. A challenge to this rising food demand is that crops will have to be grown on the same or less land as today. Additionally, global climate change is causing considerable uncertainty in the ability of the current food production system to adapt to an unknown future. To address these issues sustainably, scientists from many disciplines have been investigating ways to increase crop yields and prepare for a changing climate. Considerable effort has focused on enhancing the traits of the crop plants themselves, to enhance their growth, make them resistant to disease, or tolerant to environmental stressors like drought or high salinity conditions. Conversely, a growing area of research is looking at how microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, influence these plant characteristics....Continue reading "Synthetic Microorganisms for Agricultural Use"
Variation at a Central Metabolic Gene Influences Male Fruit Fly Lifespan
Why do females outlive males? For fruit flies, the answer can be found in the expression of an important metabolism gene....Continue reading "Variation at a Central Metabolic Gene Influences Male Fruit Fly Lifespan"
Leadership in Public Science: Meet Jean Goodwin
Leadership in Public Science cluster member Jean Goodwin studies how scientists and the public communicate with each other....Continue reading "Leadership in Public Science: Meet Jean Goodwin"
Todd Kuiken in BioCoder: Citizen Health Innovators
They say that necessity is the mother of invention. Many would argue that their greatest necessity is health. So what happens when treatments are ineffective or unavailable? Today, in the age of crowdfunding, some people are taking matters into their own hands and developing their own treatments, including surgical techniques, gene therapies and molecular therapies. GES Senior Research Scholar Dr. Todd Kuiken, together with international science policy expert Eleonore Pauwels, of The Wilson Center, explores the risks, regulatory issues, and implications of the emerging DIY, "patient-powered" health research movement in the Spring 2017 issue of BioCoder....Continue reading "Todd Kuiken in BioCoder: Citizen Health Innovators"
NC State Honors Outstanding Faculty
NC State recognized 28 faculty members for their dedication to teaching, learning, research and service during the 2017 Celebration of Faculty Excellence on May 2. The annual event honors faculty who have won prestigious state, national and international awards and created new knowledge and advancements in their respective disciplines....
Jennifer Kuzma quoted in Slate on biotech regulatory issues
Biotechnology is moving at lightening speed, especially with the advances in genetic engineering and synthetic biology. However, policies and regulations lag far behind, leaving potentially dangerous gaps in classification and oversight. Dr. Jennifer Kuzma, GES...Continue reading "Jennifer Kuzma quoted in Slate on biotech regulatory issues"
Zack Brown publishes article in Choices on the ‘Economic, Regulatory and International Implications of Gene Drives in Agriculture”
Agricultural pests, such as fruit flies and mosquitoes, cause billions of dollars in crops losses and spread life-threatening diseases, including malaria and Zika. Many researchers, including NC State IGERT students, are working to develop gene...
Todd Kuiken publishes Slate article discussing concerns with DARPA’s SynBio Initiatives
GES Research Scholar Dr. Todd Kuiken has concerns about DARPA, who’s investments are “bending the entire field of synthetic biology towards military applications.” Will DARPA’s initiatives lead to the militarization of the natural environment?...
Todd Kuiken quoted in Atlantic article on failure of glowing plant kickstarter
Remember the Kickstarter campaign that raised half a million dollars to fund the invention of glowing houseplants? Todd Kuiken, GES research scholar and synthetic biology expert, weighs in on the recent announcement of the project’s failure...Continue reading "Todd Kuiken quoted in Atlantic article on failure of glowing plant kickstarter"