Caltech researchers have devised a novel way to churn out large quantities of drugs using mini biofactories—in yeast. Assistant professor Christina D. Smolke and graduate student Kristy Hawkins genetically modified common baker's yeast to produce the chemical reticuline. It is a precursor for many different classes of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid molecules, a large group of chemically intricate compounds, such as morphine and nicotine, naturally produced by plants, which exhibit a wide variety of pharmacological activities, from pain relief to hair growth acceleration. "Our work has the potential to result in new therapeutic drugs for a broad range of diseases, and provides an exciting example of the increased complexity with which we are engineering biological systems to address global societal challenges," she says. A paper describing the research, now online, is the cover article of the September issue of Nature Chemical Biology. More...

The National Science Foundation's Expeditions in Computing program has awarded $10 million to the Molecular Programming Project, a collaborative effort by researchers at Caltech and the University of Washington to establish a fundamental approach to the design of complex molecular and chemical systems based on the principles of computer science.

The focus of their study, molecular programs, are collections of molecules that may perform a computation, fabricate an object, or control a system of molecular sensors and actuators. The project aims to develop tools and theories for molecular programming—such as programming languages and compilers--that will enable systematic design and implementation in the laboratory. Eventually, molecular programs could be used to manufacture nanoscale objects, to create biochemical circuitry to probe the inner workings of cells, and as "programmable therapies" placed within living cells to diagnose and directly respond to diseases. More...

Individuals with synesthesia, or cross-activated senses, perceive the world differently from others, with some perceiving numbers or letters as having colors or days of the week as possessing personalities. Now, Caltech's Melissa Saenz and Christof Koch have discovered a type of synesthesia in which individuals hear sounds, such as tapping, beeping, or whirring, when they see things move or flash. Saenz and Koch say auditory synesthesia, which had never been identified, may not be unusual but may simply represent an enhanced form of how the brain normally processes visual information. Their report about the phenomenon is published in the August 5 issue of Current Biology. More...