Synthetic biology research in the Institute for Systems and Synthetic Biology

The Centre for Synthetic Biology and Innovation (CSynBI) has recently been established in partnership with the London School of Economic and Political Science (LSE) through an EPSRC Science and Innovation award.

The Centre is based in the Faculty of Engineering and will work closely with the Departments of Bioengineering and Life Sciences to develop a vibrant and world-leading research activity in the emerging field of synthetic biology. A major strategic aim of the Centre is to establish a robust engineering framework for the design and optimisation of new synthetic biology parts, devices and systems and to integrate this research with emerging ethical legal and societal issues.

Researchers from the BIOS centre at the LSE  form an integral part of CSynBI and are exploring the social, political, economic and ethical dimensions of synthetic biology. They are also addressing issues of public engagement and trust, as well as engaging with the central concerns of policy and regulation in this novel and rapidly developing area. A programme of research, training, development and dissemination will, through upstream involvement from the very outset of CSynBI, enhance capabilities to understand the ways that developments in synthetic biology impact and shape the world around us, and facilitate the development of informed dialogue and an appropriate regulatory and policy regime.

 Professor Richard Kitney and Professor Paul Freemont are Co-Directors of the Centre for Synthetic Biology and Innovation.