December 21, 2007
With 'Biobricks,' Students Snap Together a New Science
Austin L. Day, a senior at the University of California at Berkeley, holds up an IV bag filled with a brown-red liquid resembling bloody-mary mix. The unsavory concoction is Berkeley's entry in a genetic-engineering competition — a blood substitute called "Bactoblood," made from modified bacteria.
Spurred by the worldwide shortage of human blood for transfusions, the Berkeley team developed a synthetic version by tinkering with the DNA of a common bacterium, E. coli. The
This content is only for subscribers. You can gain access by purchasing a:
Print Subscription
Digital Subscription
Already have an account? Log In Now.
-
The Chronicle Review
-
Government
-
Advice
