Synthetic Biology is heralded as a novel approach to the engineering of biosystems that will set the scene for a flourishing knowledge-based bio-economy. Benefits for the fundamental understanding of biological phenomena are also claimed, as rational construction of a system based on hypothesized design principles can be used to test assumptions. The keywords of synthetic biology are rational design, decoupling of conception and fabrication, standardization and component re-use, modularity and hierarchy, orthogonality and context-insensitivity. However, each keyword raises questions of desirability and feasibility. These questions remain ongoing areas of inquiry for the field and require multi-faceted approaches. Beyond the current hype surrounding it, what is the value of synthetic biology for the progress in understanding of biological systems and for the establishment of new biotechnological production platforms?
Scientific committee
Steven BENNER, Ffame, Gainesville, USA
Victor DE LORENZO, CNB, CSIC, Madrid, ES
Tim GARDNER, Riffyn, Oakland, CA, USA
Misha GROMOV, IHÉS, Bures-sur-Yvette, FR, Chair
Jutta HEIM, Evolva, Reinach, CH
Patrick JOHNSON, Dassault Systèmes, Vélizy, FR
François KÉPÈS, Genopole, CNRS, Evry, FR, Chair
Richard KITNEY, Imperial College London, UK
Udo REICHL, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, Magdeburg, DE
Susan ROSSER, Edinburgh University, UK
Reshma SHETTY, Ginkgo Bioworks, Boston, Mass, USA
Minus VAN BAALEN, ENS Paris, FR
Speakers
Nitin BALIGA, Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, USA
David BIKARD, Institut Pasteur, Paris, FR
Jef BOEKE, Langone Medical Center, NY Univ., USA
Nico CALLEWAERT, Dpt of Medical Protein Research, Univ.Gent, BE
Yvonne CHEN, Chemical and Biomolecular Engr, UCLA, USA
Tom ELLIS, Dpt of Bioengineering, Imperial College, London, UK
Luis Angel FERNANDEZ, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Madrid, ES
Paul FREEMONT, Dpt of Medicine, Imperial College, London, UK
Martin FUSSENEGGER, Dpt of Biosystems Science & Engr, ETH, Zurich, CH
Ming HAMMOND, Depts of Chemistry and MCB, UC Berkeley, USA
Jim HASELOFF, Dpt of Plant Sciences, Univ. of Cambridge, UK
Piet HERDEWIJN, KU Leuven, BE & iSSB-CNRS, Genopole, FR
Ichiro HIRAO, Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), The Nanos, SG
Philipp HOLLIGER, Lab. of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
Farren ISAACS, The Sackler Institute, Yale Univ., New Have, USA
Kirsten JUNG, LMU Division of Microbiology, Münich, DE
Sébastien LEMIRE / Timothy K. LU, Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE) at MIT, Cambridge, USA
Maria LLUCH SENAR / Luis SERRANO, Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona, ES
Philippe MARLIERE, Global Bioenergies, Evry, FR
Goksel MISIRLI / Anil WIPAT, School of Computing Science, Univ. of Newcastle, UK
Pablo I. NIKEL, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Madrid, ES
Anne OSBOURN, John Innes Centre, Norfolk, UK
Sven PANKE, Bioprocess Laboratory, ETH Zürich, CH
Floyd ROMESBERG, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, USA
Eriko TAKANO, Faculty of Life Sciences, Univ. of Manchester, UK
Danielle TULLMAN-ERCEK, Dpt of Chemical and Biomolecular Engr, UC Berkeley, USA
Discussants
Daniel BENNEQUIN University Paris 7, FR
Rui DILÃO Instituto Superior Técnico, PT
Dmitry GRIGORIEV CNRS & MPI, Bonn, DE
Alexander GORBAN University of Leicester, UK
Willy JÄGER University of Heidelberg, DE
Olivier MARTIN CNRS-INRA, Gif-sur-Yvette, FR
Robert PENNER Caltech, USA & IHÉS, FR
Christophe SOULÉ CNRS-IHÉS, FR
Alain TROUVÉ ENS-Cachan, FR
Vitaly VOLPERT Université de Lyon1, FR
Andrei ZINOVYEV Institut Curie, FR
Pasha ZUSMANOVICH University of Ostrava, CR
Organizing Committee : François KÉPÈS, Mikhail GROMOV, Nadya MOROZOVA,
