Several companies are already seeking to take advantage of the new field, called synthetic biology, which combines chemistry, computer science, molecular biology, genetics and cell biology to breed industrial life forms that can secrete fuels, vaccines or other commercial products.

WSJ: Scientists Create First Synthetic Cell

Turin identifies the "official birthday of fragrance chemistry" as the discovery of the synthetic simulation of coumarin, an essential component of the tonka bean, prized for its sweet, nutty and smoky fragrance, in 1868.

FORBES: Perfumes Are Back To The Future

Over dinner Schreibershared with Adams his disdain for combinatorial chemistry, the high-speed fabrication of synthetic molecules.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Researchers at Rice University have developed a method of successfully growing synthetic collagen, and their results were published in a recent issue of Nature Chemistry.

FORBES: Researchers Create Synthetic Collagen