Wyss InstituteSynthetic Biology – Wyss Institute

Pulling carbon into seawater using engineered bacteria

Jessica Leff — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:00:14 +0000

By Benjamin Boettner (BOSTON) — Rock weathering, the breakdown and dissolving of rocks and minerals caused by their exposure to water, air, and biological life, is a major regulator of Earth’s atmospheric CO2 levels and climate. Throughout Earth’s history, rock weathering has been faster during warm periods with increased atmospheric CO2 levels. Dissolved minerals ultimately wash into the…

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Researchers clear major obstacle in genetic engineering of proteins

Jessica Leff — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 15:13:59 +0000

By STEPHANIE DUTCHEN / Harvard Medical School Communications (BOSTON) — Scientists have been hard at work for more than 20 years to instruct biological systems, such as E. coli cells, to produce proteins they don’t naturally do. Success could mean faster, cheaper, innovative solutions for medicine, agriculture, materials science, environmental remediation, and other industries.

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Dispersible Gas Carriers: Enhancing Efficiency in Biomanufacturing

Jessica Leff — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 15:12:47 +0000

The bioeconomy is being held back not by biology, but by the physics of getting gas into water at scale to support bioproduction by microbial and mammalian cells. Oxygen (O₂) and other gases are poorly soluble in water, and dissolving them at scale requires mechanical sparging and mixing systems that cause foaming, shear stress, contamination, and uneven gas distribution throughout the reactor.

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Chemist’s fix for a stubborn biomanufacturing problem? Engineer the liquid, not the machine

Jessica Leff — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 18:57:11 +0000

By Yahya Chaudhry, Harvard Staff Writer (CAMBRIDGE, Mass.) – In the race to build a biomanufacturing economy, one of the most stubborn obstacles is surprisingly mundane: getting enough gas into a tank of liquid. From pharmaceuticals to alternative proteins, many technologies depend on microbes that need to breathe oxygen or consume other gases such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

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Harkamal (Hark) Jhajj on rewiring immune cells to repair fractured bones

Jessica Leff — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 13:52:41 +0000

The Humans of the Wyss (HOW) series features members of the Wyss community discussing their work, the influences that shape them as professionals, and their collaborations at the Wyss Institute and beyond. Harkamal (Hark) Jhajj is always climbing physical and metaphorical mountains. In his spare time, he loves doing physical activities and exploring nature by hiking and visiting national parks.

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The Wyss Institute’s 2026-2027 Validation Projects

Jessica Leff — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 14:00:41 +0000

Each year, the Wyss Institute’s Validation Project program identifies technologies that are ready to move beyond discovery and into the validation phase. Through dedicated funding, technical resources, business development support, market research, and engagement with clinicians, investors, industry experts, and key opinion leaders, the program helps research teams de-risk high-impact innovations…

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Destigmatizing mental health and democratizing brain-related research

Jessica Leff — Wed, 27 May 2026 13:50:06 +0000

By Jessica Leff More than one in five U.S. adults experience mental illness each year, but in 2024, only 52.1% of them received treatment. One reason people are reluctant to seek help is because of the stigma surrounding mental health. Often, that stigma comes from a lack of understanding and fear. Unfortunately, stigma doesn’t only impact those with mental illnesses, but it also affects…

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Bioengineering a world beyond plastics

Jessica Leff — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 15:00:06 +0000

By Seth Kroll (BOSTON) — In fewer than 200 years, plastic has become so deeply embedded in everyday life that it is impossible to envision society without it. Inexpensive, adaptable, and durable, plastics are indispensable from food packaging and textiles to medical and electronic devices. But this durability and ubiquity have made plastic dependency a growing global challenge…

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Cure ALD – Behind the Research | Alex LeNail – Safer Gene Therapy

Jessica Leff — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:26:58 +0000

Learn about Wyss Postdoctoral Fellow Alex LeNail‘s background and how he plans to develop a safer gene therapy for ALD (adrenoleukodystrophy) patients. If successful, this could go to clinical trials and give families hope for a cure. This video series tells the story of the scientists behind the breakthroughs, and why community-driven fundraising is the engine behind their discoveries. …

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Synthetic biology makes fateful decisions

Jessica Leff — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:30:09 +0000

By Jia LIU, Chinese Academy of Sciences Edited by Karen Pepper (BEIJING) – Cellular differentiation and a division of labor are essential to living systems as distinct cell types performing specialized functions arise in defined proportions and spatial arrangements. A central challenge in synthetic biology has therefore been how to program cells to autonomously diversify into multiple…

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