Ideas change everything

How to build synthetic DNA and send it across the internet

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Dan Gibson |

TED2018

• April 2018

Biologist Dan Gibson edits and programs DNA, just like coders program a computer. But his "code" creates life, giving scientists the power to convert digital information into biological material like proteins and vaccines. Now he's on to a new project: "biological transportation," which holds the promise of beaming new medicines across the globe over the internet. Learn more about how this technology could change the way we respond to disease outbreaks and enable us to download personalized prescriptions in our homes.

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Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

Biologist Dan Gibson edits and programs DNA, just like coders program a computer. But his "code" creates life, giving scientists the power to convert digital information into biological material like proteins and vaccines. Now he's on to a new project: "biological transportation," which holds the promise of beaming new medicines across the globe over the internet. Learn more about how this technology could change the way we respond to disease outbreaks and enable us to download personalized prescriptions in our homes.

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

This talk was presented at an official TED conference.

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Learn more about Codex DNA, a biotechnology company that utilizes unique and proprietary synthetic DNA technologies to create solutions that improve lives and the sustainability of the planet.

Learn more about the BioXp 3200, the world’s first and only fully automated high-throughput DNA printer that prints synthetic DNA in hours for vaccine and drug discovery workflows.

Learn more about Gibson assembly, a molecular cloning method which allows for the joining of multiple DNA fragments in a single, isothermal reaction.

About the speaker

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Dan Gibson leads a new breed of bioengineers, called genome writers, who use DNA to design and build new products powering the next industrial revolution.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference.

Read our curation guidelines.

Learn more about Codex DNA, a biotechnology company that utilizes unique and proprietary synthetic DNA technologies to create solutions that improve lives and the sustainability of the planet.

Learn more about the BioXp 3200, the world’s first and only fully automated high-throughput DNA printer that prints synthetic DNA in hours for vaccine and drug discovery workflows.

Learn more about Gibson assembly, a molecular cloning method which allows for the joining of multiple DNA fragments in a single, isothermal reaction.