Synthetic Biology and Biotechnology (SB2) Predoctoral Training Program

Boston University (Charles River Campus), Boston MA

Investigators

Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract Synthetic biology uses biological ‘building blocks’ to create fundamentally new biological systems, capabilities, and behaviors. This fast-growing discipline has the potential to revolutionize many scientific fields and industries, including biotechnology, agricultural technology, microbial ecology, cellular agriculture and plant- based meats, biomanufacturing, and medicine. Efforts are needed to formalize the theory, practices, and standards in synthetic biology so that future Ph.D. graduates can develop new synthetic biological methods and implement them to address a broad range of scientific problems. Synthetic biology is, by nature, an interdisciplinary enterprise, forged between biology, engineering, chemistry, and physics. As such, it also represents an ideal discipline around which to build a training paradigm that incorporates team science, interdisciplinary thinking, communication, and business understanding. This proposal seeks five years of support to enhance and improve an established predoctoral training program in Synthetic Biology and Biotechnology (SB2) at Boston University, which accepts students from the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Bioinformatics Program, and the Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, & Biochemistry Program. We are requesting support for eight predoctoral trainees per year for all five years of the Training Program; we will use these funds to support four Ph.D. student trainees for 24 months, during the second and third years of their graduate degree. BU will provide support for an additional two trainees per year, for all five years of the Training Program. This means that our Training Program will support 12 total trainees across two cohorts: six second-year Ph.D. students and six third-year Ph.D. students. Our 26 faculty mentors are drawn from various departments and colleges at Boston University, with expertise in engineering, molecular and cell biology, pharmacology, chemistry, computational biology, physics, microbiology and evolution, and other related fields. To promote rigorous training in transdisciplinary research and teamwork, all SB2 trainees will be co- mentored by two of these faculty members: the primary mentor will act as a traditional Ph.D. supervisor, and the secondary mentor will provide additional research expertise and support. In addition to building a field-defining synthetic biology curriculum that includes technical training, mastery of computational and data analysis methods, and critical thinking skills, we will enhance the professional development skills our trainees require to succeed in this highly interdisciplinary field and give them opportunities to interact with the vibrant biotech community in Boston, which is already being transformed by this field. Numerous mechanisms will be employed to assist trainees in preparing for diverse career paths with formal and informal opportunities to learn from STEM professionals from a range of careers. Through this program, we will train these synthetic biologists to drive this field forward and become the next generation of leaders in this interdisciplinary and transformative science.