Other Synthetic Biology Networks

Networks in Synthetic Biology

RoSBNet is one of seven Synthetic Biology Networks funded by four Research Councils, the EPSRC, the BBSRC, the AHRC and the ESRC. The aim of these networks is to establish communication and networking between researchers to share ideas, and encourage creative approaches to meet future challenges. This also allows the opportunity to build international multidisciplinary partnerships to attract research funding opportunities. The seven networks are:

• RoSBNet From Robust Synthetic Biological Parts to Whole Systems: Theoretical, Practical and Ethical Challenges
• Synthetic Components Network: Towards Synthetic Biology From The Bottom Up
• SPPI - Net A Network for Synthetic Plant Products for Industry
• Standards for the Design and Engineering of modular biological devices
• Synbion: The UCL Network in Synthetic Biology
• MATE’s: Microbial Applications To Tissue engineering, An Exemplar Synthetic Biology
• SynBiont: A Synthetic Biology Network for Modelling and Programming Cell-Chell Interactions

Apart from these networks, the following activities are ongoing:

• International Association Synthetic Biology (IASB) - Concerned with the scientific and economic prospects of synthetic biology, as well as with the bioethical and biosecurity questions it raises. IASB published a code of conduct in 2009.
• ERASynBio - An EU FP7 ERA-NET for the development and coordination of Synthetic Biology in the European Research Area
• SYNBIOSAFE Project – An EC-FP6 project which researched the safety and ethical aspects of synthetic biology, aiming to proactively stimulate a debate on these issues. The project website has links to various publications and a list of other European synthetic biology projects.
• Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center (SynBERC) - a multi-institution research effort based in the US.
• Synthetic Biology Community – An online group of individuals, groups and labs from various institutions. The website has links to their labs, projects, courses and online tools.
• Flowers Consortium - A collaboration between five universities (Imperial College London, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Newcastle and King's College London) to establish a platform technology based on an information system - SynBIS - which uses a web-based environment.

The Synthetic Biology Special Interest Group

A Synthetic Biology Special Interest Group (SynBio-SIG) has been established as a link between the UK's research base and the relevant industrial communities. Its aim is to ensure that the UK's world-leading synthetic biology research can be translated and developed into commercial applications.