A Q&A with Héctor García Martín, a scientist merging biology with data-driven tools and robotics to accelerate the pipeline for medicines, eco-friendly materials, and biofuels
A natural molecule that boosts the effectiveness of vaccines is produced in small quantities by a single species of plant. A team led by Jay Keasling has successfully transferred the complicated, 38-gene synthesis pathway into yeast, opening the door for a large-scale, cost-saving manufacturing process of the molecule that is also less detrimental to the environment.