SB7.0, the Seventh International Meeting on Synthetic Biology, will take place 13-16 June 2017 at the National University of Singapore. The meeting is jointly organized by the BioBricks Foundation, SynBioBeta and the National University of Singapore.
“The field of synthetic biology has made significant technical progress since SB1.0 took place at MIT back in 2004,” said Drew Endy of Stanford University and the BioBricks Foundation. “Gene synthesis costs have been reduced 200-fold, all of Boolean logic has been realised across a diversity of organisms, and biosynthesis via 30 enzyme pathways is becoming routine,” he added.
But what’s missing, what’s next, and to what ends? Biology is central to all of human existence and nature.
Synthetic biology is already being used to change or challenge almost every facet of today’s world from provisioning foods, fuels, medicines, and clothing, to enabling new modes of critical design, fashion and art.
As our science and tools continue to evolve, everyone needs to work together to articulate what challenges, puzzles and problems must be addressed or avoided.
SB7.0 will allow the entire world to take a step back, look at the field as a whole and ask not only how the latest advancements better human life, but also what footprint our technologies leave on the planet.
As the full potential of synthetic biology continues to develop, diverse communities must work together to ensure synthetic biology can benefit all people and the planet.
SB7.0 will enable participants to share and refine their own agendas while contributing to the world’s collective synthetic biology strategy.
Presentations and discussions will feature leading academics, policymakers, entrepreneurs and civil society organisers from all over the world. “The field has grown from strength to strength over the past 14 years, and now is the time to work together to chart our next decade’s course,” added John Cumbers, SynBioBeta founder.
“The three themes underlying SB7.0 are (i) all people and the planet, (ii) diversity with harmony and (iii) revolution,” stated Matthew Chang of the National University of Singapore. “We are looking forward to hosting significant and fruitful discussions at SB7.0. Everyone is welcome,” he added.
