Uploaded July 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What if we could create any protein, any biological structure that we want. And, for it to be biodegradable, sustainable, and safe for use? Well, that is the ultimate mission of Ginkgo Bioworks, a biotech company founded in 2008 by scientists at MIT, and their using Biology to achieve it.
How, you may ask? Well, by genetically engineering living organisms, like bacteria, yeast and mammalian cell lines to express proteins or genes of interest, testing and selecting the best ones, and then growing loads of it so that the desired product can be extracted. In other words - synthetic biology. These products grown by living organisms can then be used for industrial, pharmaceutical purposes, as well as food production and fragrances. I recently travelled to Boston and was able to have a little tour around Ginkgo’s building. I then later spoke with Sneha, a lead organism engineer at Ginkgo to hear about what they get up to and how they’re achieving it.
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Please note that The Sheekey Science Show is distinct from Eleanor Sheekey's teaching and research roles at the University of Cambridge. The information provided in this show is not medical advice, nor should it be taken or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The Sheekey Science Show and guests assume no liability for the application of the information discussed.
Icons in intro; "freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background"Background vector created by freepik - freepik.com
What if we could create any protein, any biological structure that we want. And, for it to be biodegradable, sustainable, and safe for use? Well, that is the ultimate mission of Ginkgo Bioworks, a biotech company founded in 2008 by scientists at MIT, and their using Biology to achieve it.
How, you may ask? Well, by genetically engineering living organisms, like bacteria, yeast and mammalian cell lines to express proteins or genes of interest, testing and selecting the best ones, and then growing loads of it so that the desired product can be extracted. In other words - synthetic biology. These products grown by living organisms can then be used for industrial, pharmaceutical purposes, as well as food production and fragrances. I recently travelled to Boston and was able to have a little tour around Ginkgo’s building. I then later spoke with Sneha, a lead organism engineer at Ginkgo to hear about what they get up to and how they’re achieving it.
Find me on Twitter - twitter.com/EleanorSheekey
Support the channel
through PayPal - paypal.me/sheekeyscience?country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GB
through Patreon - patreon.com/TheSheekeyScienceShow
Website - thesheekeyscienceshow.com
Please note that The Sheekey Science Show is distinct from Eleanor Sheekey's teaching and research roles at the University of Cambridge. The information provided in this show is not medical advice, nor should it be taken or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The Sheekey Science Show and guests assume no liability for the application of the information discussed.
Icons in intro; "freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background"Background vector created by freepik - freepik.com
