What is synthetic biology? And why does this subject make us feel so uneasy? What more can it do for us? And what is the correlation between synthetic biology, gluten allergy, and a pair of scissors?

While Kelly Hamers was studying at the Delft University of Technology, a teacher told the story of the first patient to be treated with penicillin. Reserve constable Albert Alexander (1897-1941) died after the hospital had run out of penicillin to treat him. Imagine being halfway through your recovery and then being told, "I am sorry, sir, we ran out of medicine." Synthetic biology ensures that something like that does not happen again.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx