The transcripts from Opportunities and Challenges in the Emerging Field of Synthetic Biology now available

The transcripts from the July 9-10, 2009 symposium, Opportunities and Challenges in the Emerging Field of Synthetic Biology, are now available.

Intelligently deciphering unintelligible designs

Bud Mishra (Courant Institute) offers his own idiosyncratic views on systems biology in this wide-ranging review. In Intelligently deciphering unintelligible designs: algorithmic algebraic model checking in systems biology he also aims to persuade young scientists to examine the possible evolution of this subject in a rich historical context.

Biology by design

Biology by design: reduction and synthesis of cellular components and behaviour, a review article by Philippe Marguet, Frederick Balagadde, Cheemeng Tan and Lingchong You discusses the motivation behind, and foundational technologies enabling, the development of synthetic biology. It examines some early successes and applications while highlighting the challenges involved. It also considers future directions and mentions non-scientific considerations that can influence the field's growth.

Paul Freemont interview

Paul Freemont, author of Interface Focus paper 'Opportunities for microfluidic technologies in synthetic biology', talks to The Guardian's science correspondent, Alok Jha. He describes a future in which purpose-built organisms will manufacture complex chemicals and drugs to order. There is also a feature on creating biofuels using algae. The whole piece can be heard here.

Craig Venter on DNA and the sea

Genomics pioneer Craig Venter takes a break from his epic round-the-world expedition to talk about the millions of genes his team has discovered so far in its quest to map the ocean’s biodiversity.

Drew Endy interview

A 20 minute interview with Drew Endy produced by KQED was released on July 21st. This provides a generalist and wide-ranging introduction to Endy's views on synthetic biology and how he sees it developing.

Webinar on Synthetic Biology

From the 6th Annual World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology & Bioprocessing several leading advanced biofuel companies discuss the state of their technology development, their use of synthetic biology, and their plans for bringing products to market.

George Attard on Synthetic Biology

Professor George Attard (Chemistry, Southampton University), author of two recent J. R. Soc. Interface papers*, is interviewed by Sheffield University's Professor Noel Sharkey. He pours cold water on some of the fears associated with Synthetic Biology and provides his own views on the nature and goals of the subject.

*Integrative feedback and robustness in a lipid biosynthetic network
and
Testing the hypothesis that amphiphilic antineoplastic lipid analogues act through reduction of membrane curvature elastic stress

6th Annual World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology & Bioprocessing

At next week's Sixth Annual World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology & Bioprocessing in Montreal two breakout sessions will be devoted to Synthetic Biology. Synthetic Biology for Next Generation Biofuels, moderated by Jim Barber, includes presentations by Bill Haywood, Jonathan Wolfson, Patrick Gruber and Neil Renninger. Global Perspective on Synthetic Biology will be moderated by Sibylle Gaisser with presentations by Richard Kitney, Hubert Bernauer and Eleonore Pauwels.

Synbio Symposium: presentations now available

Presentation slides and audio from the Opportunities and Challenges symposium are now available here. The symposium auditorium was packed out for the opening keynote, given by Arden Bement, Director, National Science Foundation, recently described by New Scientist as 'one of the most powerful people in science'. Listen to Bement outline the significance of this 'transformative field'.

Assembly Required

The latest issue of the Stanford Magazine includes an article by Kara Platoni on the work of Drew Endy and Christina Smolke. The strap line reads, 'Bioengineers are applying prefab principles to nature's construction materials. Their mission: a biological revolution.'

Lloyd’s report on Synthetic Biology

A report by Lloyd's Emerging Risk Team Synthetic Biology: influencing development has just been published. Drawing upon a number of sources, including the summary of the Royal Society's synthetic biology discussion meeting, it highlights both the opportunities and concerns this field raises. It concludes that 'insurers should consider whether they wish liability products to be exposed to large scale aggregating events and, if not, whether limits should imposed or other policy amendments made. Most of all, we should take part in a broad debate on the use of this new technology before it becomes embedded.'

Synbio symposium: audio now available

You can now listen to all of last week's Royal Society/National Academies/OECD synthetic biology symposium here, split up session by session. I'll let you find you own highlights.... but tell us what they are!

Win £100 Amazon Voucher!

Share your views on the new issue of Interface Focus - Synthetic biology: history, challenges and prospects, and you could win £100 in Amazon vouchers. Simply write a short review or summary (maximum 300 words), on the entire issue or a particular article and send it to interface@royalsociety.org with the subject heading 'COMPETITION'. All acceptable entries will be posted on the Synthetic Biology Gateway and the authors will receive a complimentary copy of Interface Focus.

All the entries will be judged by an in-house panel and the winner posted on the Synthetic Biology Gateway on Monday 10th August 2009.

Closing date for submissions to the competition is Sunday 9th August 2009.

Radio 4 documentary on Synthetic Biology

Broadcast on July 13th Richard Hollingham investigated the practical and moral questions raised by synthetic biology.

He met some of the scientists who are designing 'new life', including Dick Kitney, and visited the new Centre for Synthetic Biology and Innovation at Imperial College, London. Richard talked to biologist and entrepreneur Craig Venter, whose research team has recently transformed one species of bacteria into another by gene transplantation.

He also discussed some of the moral and ethical issues raised by the creation of synthetic life, and asked if a new regulatory framework is needed that both protects the public and provides scientists with unambiguous boundaries for their work.

This programme can be heard here.

Influential articles in synthetic biology

Researchers in the field of synthetic biology were asked:

Which three articles on synthetic biology, published in the last 5 years, have influenced your own research the most?

See their responses here.

Ethical Issues in Synthetic Biology

The ethical issues raised by a variety of emerging technologies are often similar and familiar. These similarities are often abundant enough to justify an effort to develop an ethical framework that cuts across emerging and converging technologies, according to a new report authored by Erik Parens, Josephine Johnston, and Erik Parens of The Hastings Center.

In Ethical Issues in Synthetic Biology: An Overview of the Debates, the authors argue that rather than stovepiping ethical questions into the hyphenated areas of bio-ethics, nano-ethics, neuro-ethics and so on, it is time to begin speaking about the ethics of emerging technologies as a whole.

“By better understanding precisely what values are considered at play in the context of synthetic biology, we will be in a better position to understand what action would be reasonable to expect or recommend.”

The report can be downloaded here.

Tweet from Opportunities and Challenges symposium

David Morar (Pennsylvania State University) is currently tweeting from the symposium.

Synthetic biology and thinking about synthetic biology

Two themes have come up time and time again during the opening sessions of the Opportunities and Challenges symposium. The first, emphasised by amongst others Arden Bement, Director, National Science Foundation and Adrian Smith, Director General for Science and Research, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is that social scientific and humanities investigation must accompany technical research as synthetic biology develops. As Adrian Smith put it, the science and thinking about the science must proceed together.

The second and connected theme is the need for public participation, raised in every session. Setting aside the debate over what counts as 'the public' (a debate we had but of course did not resolve), the public can take part in imagining the future of science and technology. Bement pointed out that this is especially important for transformative technologies that have the potential to genuinely change the way we live. Could views such as these from Government officials have been imagined for any previous technology?

Symposium live webcast

The opening session of the symposium is being webcast live, now!
View here

Opportunities and Challenges in the Emerging Field of Synthetic Biology

Opportunities and Challenges in the Emerging Field of Synthetic Biology begins today at the National Academies' Keck Center, Washington, DC. The Royal Society will be represented by James Willsden and Matthew Harvey. James will be moderating the 11:15 session on Public Policy – Government Perspectives and Approaches.

Synthetic Biology: opportunities and challenges

Welcome to my blog about synthetic biology which will cover the Royal Society’s activities in the area. We’re co-organising one of the first symposia to focus on the policy aspects of synthetic biology and I’ll report on what happens. But first, some background to the event ...

Technical advance in synthetic biology is rapid, and some of the power and potential of the field is shown in the Interface focus issue on synthetic biology and the report of our synbio discussion meeting held last year. Powerful science and technology is always accompanied by questions of economic potential and prospective applications; safety and governance; national and international cooperation and rivalry; ethics; patents and protection and so on.

The questions asked of synthetic biology by policymakers, the media and the wider public around the world are now multiplying as the frontiers of knowledge and application advance. The scientific ambition of emerging economies will further blur the boundaries of decision-making, creating new sources of competition and collaboration, and posing challenges to existing national frameworks of regulation.

To begin to address the wider issues presented by synthetic biology, the Royal Society in partnership with the US National Academies and the OECD has organised an international symposium Opportunities and challenges in the emerging field of synthetic biology. The symposium will be held in Washington DC, July 9-10 2009 and will bring together science, engineering, legal, finance, civil society and policy communities to explore the opportunities and challenges posed by this emerging field. The symposium will feature invited presentations and discussions on the myriad of legal, policy, and ethical questions that synthetic biology raises.

This is amongst the first symposia dedicated to policy aspects of synthetic biology, and adds a unique mix of speakers bringing a wide variety of perspectives, including Drew Endy (Stanford), Arden Bement (Director, National Science Foundation), Adrian Smith FRS (UK Government Director General for Science & Research), Greg Kisor (Intellectual Ventures), Randy Rettberg (MIT), Adam Bly (SEED Media Group) and Sven Panke (ETHZ Basel).

A transcript and summary report of the symposium will be published, and I’ll post updates from the symposium on this blog.

It promises to be an exciting meeting and please do add your comments.

Synthetic Biology Gateway now live!

Visit the Royal Society's Synthetic Biology Gateway today!

Synthetic biology: history, challenges and prospects - Now online!

Synthetic biology is one of the most dynamic and fascinating subjects at the interface of the physical and life sciences. The organisers of this issue of Interface Focus, Jim Haseloff (University of Cambridge), Jim Ajioka (University of Cambridge) and Dick Kitney (Imperial College, London), have brought together a collection of twelve articles by a group of internationally renowned authors. Combined, these peer-reviewed research and review papers provide an excellent overview of the subject. Areas covered include DNA synthesis and assembly, the design of genetic networks, microbial systems, artificial life and the ethical, social and economic implications of synthetic biology.

Visit http://rsif.royalsocietypublishing.org/site/misc/syntheticbiology_focus.xhtml for free access to all the articles in this issue of Interface Focus.

Synthetic biology discussion meeting

A summary of the discussion meeting held at the Royal Society in June 2008 can be found here. Attended by many key international researchers it attempted to capture the enthusiasm surrounding synthetic biology and showcase some of the most exciting developments in the field. Participants discussed: technical advances; applications including novel ways to produce bioenergy, materials and drugs; and the social contexts of this research.

Synthetic Biology and the Royal Society

This site will shortly be updated with information concerning all aspects of the Royal Society's involvement in the dynamic area of Synthetic Biology.