Synthetic biology, long the subject of science fiction, has come into its own this year as scientists at the J. Craig Venter Institute published a report outlining an important goal reached on the road to creating synthetic life. Not to be confused with genetic engineering, which alters or enhances a particular organism by inserting specific pieces of genetic material into the cell, synthetic biologists are attempting to create an entirely new life. The vocabulary of the synthetic biologist includes...Read More >>