Limit Thinking

To make things better, first prove how good they can possibly be.

Inside the Laboratory for Extraordinary Microbes

Cultivarium, a small nonprofit, is building tools to grow and engineer peculiar organisms—and then giving their discoveries away for free.

What Limits a Genome’s Size?

A tiny fern has a genome 50 times larger than a human’s. Energy and diffusion—not the nucleus volume—are the key bottlenecks to more expansive growth.

Raising Welfare for Lab Rodents

The science of animal welfare is exploding, offering new ways to improve conditions for millions of research animals a year.

Breaking the Speed Limit on Cell Division

The slow growth of model organisms delays biological research. Engineering cells to divide more quickly could speed it up.

Where's the Synthetic Blood?

Synthetic blood cells could solve blood shortages, but only if technical challenges are surmounted and costs are slashed.

The First Patented G.M.O.

The Supreme Court case that built the biotechnology industry.