![]() Concrete is essentially a concoction of water, sand, gravel and something known as a binder. Scientists are taking inspiration from this bivalve’s natural super glue, composed of protein-laden stringy fibers, to create a more eco-friendly version of a key component of concrete, one of the world’s most common construction materials. Try to pry a mussel off a rock with your bare hands - it’s not easy. Michael Lepech, PhD, professor of civil and environmental engineering Possu Huang, PhD, assistant professor of bioengineering ![]() Yeh and Brophy have engineered plant organelles, a structure that lives inside a cell, that harbor a nitrogen-fixing bacteria, allowing a plant to create its own useable nitrogen and decreasing the need for fertilizers. The common solution is to use nitrogen-laden fertilizers, but excess nitrogen from fertilizers can make its way to the ocean, spurring algal growth, whose decomposition depletes the oxygen supply used by marine life, leading to dead zones. ![]() They can access it only when it’s “fixed” - in a form such as ammonium nitrate that they can absorb through their roots. Plants need nitrogen, but they can’t just siphon it from the air. Ellen Yeh, MD, PhD, associate professor of pathology and of microbiology and immunology Jenn Brophy, PhD, assistant professor of bioengineering Below are brief descriptions of each project:Īrtificial nitrogen-fixation in plants. Still others are devising techniques to make novel foods and useful materials from recycled plastics. Some of them focused on developing tools to create new tools some, on strategies to limit carbon emissions. Researchers described five high-risk, high-reward projects stemming from new, bold - and somewhat eyebrow-raising - ideas. She emphasized that science must be pursued with a social purpose in mind and that it’s crucial for the fruits of scientists to have an impact on real people. Keynote speaker Jennifer Doudna, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who garnered a Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2020, discussed some of her new genetic engineering projects harnessing the gene-editing tool CRISPR. Researchers are employing synthetic biology - the engineering of organisms’ genetic material - for purposes beyond sustainability as well: Think furniture made from durable fungi or yeast that are genetically modified to create medicine.ĭuring her opening remarks, Jennifer Widom, dean of the School of Engineering emphasized a commitment to fostering collaborations between engineers, scientists, as well as social scientists, ethicists, law scholars, and others – to ensure that we can harness the full potential of synthetic biology in a responsible manner. “It’s clear that synthetic biology was and is going to play an increasingly important role in how we address the challenges associated with climate change and sustainability,” said Lloyd Minor, dean of the School of Medicine. The discussions, held at Schwab Residential Center at Stanford University, featured experts from the Stanford School of Medicine, the School of Engineering and the Doerr School of Sustainability. Killer tomatoes, plant-based cement, lab-grown steak and other sustainability-minded projects took center stage at the first-ever Synthetic Biology for Sustainability Symposium in early May.
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