Drew Endy
Encyclopedia
Drew Endy is a synthetic biologist.
He was a junior fellow for 3 years and later an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Engineering
at MIT. In September 2008, he moved to Palo Alto to become an assistant professor in the Department of Bioengineering at Stanford University
. Silicon Valley's concentration of computer scientists and engineers, in addition to Stanford's broad focus on engineering as well as ethics and the humanities, are believed to be the main reason for his move according to press reports. His wife Christina Smolke moved from the California Institute of Technology
to Stanford in January 2009.
With Thomas Knight, Gerald Jay Sussman
, and other researchers at MIT, Endy is working on synthetic biology
and the engineering
of standardized biological components
, devices, and parts, collectively known as BioBrick
s. Endy is one of several founders of the Registry of Standard Biological Parts
, and invented an abstraction hierarchy for integrated genetic systems.
Endy is also known for his opposition to limited ownership and support of free access to genetic
information
. He has been one of the early promoters of open source
biology, and helped start the Biobricks Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that will work to support open-source biology. He was also a co-founder of the now defunct Codon Devices, a biotechnology
startup company
that aimed to commercialize synthetic biology.
He was a junior fellow for 3 years and later an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Engineering
Biological Engineering
Biological engineering, biotechnological engineering or bioengineering is the application of concepts and methods of biology to solve problems in life sciences, using engineering's own analytical and synthetic methodologies and also its traditional...
at MIT. In September 2008, he moved to Palo Alto to become an assistant professor in the Department of Bioengineering at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. Silicon Valley's concentration of computer scientists and engineers, in addition to Stanford's broad focus on engineering as well as ethics and the humanities, are believed to be the main reason for his move according to press reports. His wife Christina Smolke moved from the California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
to Stanford in January 2009.
With Thomas Knight, Gerald Jay Sussman
Gerald Jay Sussman
Gerald Jay Sussman is the Panasonic Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology . He received his S.B. and Ph.D. degrees in mathematics from MIT in 1968 and 1973 respectively. He has been involved in artificial intelligence research at MIT since 1964...
, and other researchers at MIT, Endy is working on synthetic biology
Synthetic biology
Synthetic biology is a new area of biological research that combines science and engineering. It encompasses a variety of different approaches, methodologies, and disciplines with a variety of definitions...
and the engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
of standardized biological components
Cellular component
Cellular component refers to the unique, highly organized substances and substances of which cells, and thus living organisms, are composed. Examples include membranes, organelles, proteins, and nucleic acids...
, devices, and parts, collectively known as BioBrick
BioBrick
BioBrick standard biological parts are DNA sequences of defined structure and function; they share a common interface and are designed to be composed and incorporated into living cells such as E. coli to construct new biological systems. BioBrick parts represent an effort to introduce the...
s. Endy is one of several founders of the Registry of Standard Biological Parts
Registry of Standard Biological Parts
The Registry of Standard Biological Parts is a collection of genetic parts that are used in the assembly of systems and devices in synthetic biology. The registry was founded in 2003 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and resides in the Koch Biology Building. The registry contains over...
, and invented an abstraction hierarchy for integrated genetic systems.
Endy is also known for his opposition to limited ownership and support of free access to genetic
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
information
Information
Information in its most restricted technical sense is a message or collection of messages that consists of an ordered sequence of symbols, or it is the meaning that can be interpreted from such a message or collection of messages. Information can be recorded or transmitted. It can be recorded as...
. He has been one of the early promoters of open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
biology, and helped start the Biobricks Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that will work to support open-source biology. He was also a co-founder of the now defunct Codon Devices, a biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
startup company
Startup company
A startup company or startup is a company with a limited operating history. These companies, generally newly created, are in a phase of development and research for markets...
that aimed to commercialize synthetic biology.
External links
- Lab webpage
- Personal page on OpenWetWare for Drew Endy
- Abstraction hierarchy for integrated genetic systems
- Steal This Genome
- Biology Yearns to be Free
- Codon Devices, Inc.
- Article on the commercialization of DNA synthesis
- Registry of Standard Biological Parts
- Interview with Drew Endy in Edge - the third cultureEdge - the third cultureEdge is an online magazine exploring scientific and intellectual ideas published by the Edge Foundation.Scientists and others are invited to contribute their thoughts in a manner readily accessible to non-specialist readers...
- Northwestern Silverstein Lecture