Synthetic Biology Workshop will be held April 3-4, 2008 at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Farms campus in Ashburn, Virginia

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD

Investigators

Abstract

This award will support a two day invitation-only workshop titled "Toward a Synthetic Biology: NSF- NASA Joint Workshop at HHMI Janelia Farm", to be held on April 3 and 4, 2008 at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Farms campus in Virginia. Approximately 30 individuals will be invited to make short presentations, followed by ample time for discussion. Each speaker will be asked to present a vignette regarding what they believe to be a specific opportunity, which then will be vetted through collegial discussion with the other workshop participants. A series of broad questions permeating the new discipline of Synthetic Biology will be identified and addressed. Such questions include: What new scientific principles can be expected to emerge through the implementation of synthetic biology? What types of practical, industrial, biomedical, or other benefits might realistically accrue from the selective and targeted application of this emerging technology? Because synthetic biology, like many new technologies, has the potential for misuse, leaders from the bioethical community also will be prominent participants at the workshop. The broader impacts of the workshop are the deliverables that are anticipated. The workshop will enumerate and clarify the theoretical and practical, short- and long-term goals of synthetic biology research. Such goals could assist in developing a strategic long-term view of funding initiatives for a variety of government agencies. Since the emerging discipline Synthetic Biology is interdisciplinary in nature, future development of the field is likely to stimulate the interaction and cross disciplinary training between engineering, the natural and biological sciences, and the public policy arena. Synthetic Biology can potentially provide the foundation for an entire new industry; thus crystallizing the focus of the field could have a major impact on economic development. Finally, the outcomes of the meeting will be summarized in a white paper produced by the session chairs and meeting organizers after the conclusion of the meeting and provided to the NSF and NASA as a guide for incorporating the emerging discipline into their respective portfolios of funded research.