The U.S. National Academies, in cooperation with the Royal Society, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development will hold an international symposium to bring together the scientific, engineering, legal, and social policy communities with the public to explore the opportunities and challenges posed by the emerging field of synthetic biology. This award will partially support this symposium. Synthetic biology is a transformative innovation in which engineering methods are applied to biological systems. This hybrid discipline combines elements of both science and engineering into a highly interdisciplinary and rapidly growing area of research that offers great opportunities for the construction of bioengineered microorganisms that can yield new drugs, detect and break-down toxic chemicals, and generate new energy forms. Achieving the rewards offered by synthetic biology will require confronting a range of social, economic, ethical, and legal issues as well as scientific and technical challenges.
Broader Impacts Given the enormous promise of synthetic biology, it is critical at this stage to develop a framework for the community of scientists, engineers, and policy-makers to explore this field and to engage the public in an informed dialogue. How synthetic biology may change current legal and regulatory arrangements governing intellectual property, innovation, and use has not been fully explored. The rules of engagement for the community of engineers and scientists are not well defined. Biosafety and biosecurity challenges and associated risk needs further study. And the underlying ethical dimensions of this new field also need further discussion. This symposium, drawing on the convening power of the three sponsoring organizations, will begin to identify the outlines of the framework for policy and public engagement. The Academies' Committee on Science, Technology, and Law will serve as the secretariat for the symposium, drawing on the resources of the National Academy of Engineering, the Board on Life Sciences, and the Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy.
