About

EBRC is a non-profit, public-private partnership dedicated to bringing together an inclusive community committed to advancing engineering biology to address national and global needs. We showcase cutting-edge research in engineering biology, identify pressing challenges and opportunities in research and application, and articulate compelling research roadmaps and programs to address these challenges and opportunities. Our four focus areas, driven by member-led working groups, are Research Roadmapping, Education, Security, and Policy & International Engagement.

Student & Postdoc Association

Are you a graduate student or postdoc doing research in engineering biology? Get involved with the EBRC Student & Postdoc Association!

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Steering Committee

The Steering Committee is responsible for overseeing and coordinating activities, appointing chairs of working groups and committees, and providing overall guidance on EBRC priorities, statements and community-wide efforts.

  • Kate Adamala
    University of MinnesotaSecurity Chair
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  • Maitreya Dunham
    University of WashingtonSteering Committee Co-Chair
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  • Paul Freemont
    Paul Freemont
    Imperial College LondonP&IE Chair
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  • Douglas Friedman
    President
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  • India Hook-Barnard
    Executive Director
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  • Lauren Junker
    BASFInstitutional Membership Chair
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  • Michael Koepke
    LanzaTechRoadmapping Chair
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  • Joshua Leonard
    Northwestern UniversityAcademic Membership Chair
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  • Rebecca Nugent
    SynthegoSteering Committee Co-Chair
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  • Mark Styczynski
    Georgia Institute of TechnologyEducation Chair
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Team

The EBRC Team works from our headquarters in Emeryville, CA.

Membership Committees

Individual Membership Committee

The Individual Membership Committee assists with the review and recruitment of Individual EBRC Members and Individual Council Members. The committee reviews applications for Individual EBRC Members on an ongoing basis and annually proposes a slate of new Individual Council Members for review and ratification by the full EBRC Council.

  • Maitreya Dunham
    University of WashingtonSteering Committee Co-Chair
    Full Bio →
  • John Glass
    John Glass
    J. Craig Venter Institute
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  • Joshua Leonard
    Northwestern UniversityAcademic Membership Chair
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  • Vincent Noireaux
    University of Minnesota
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  • Michelle O’Malley
    University of California, Santa Barbara
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  • Megan Palmer
    Stanford University
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  • Kevin Solomon
    University of Delaware
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Institutional Membership Committee

The Institutional Membership Committee is responsible for advising on and assisting in the recruitment and retention of EBRC Institutional Members. They are the primary conduit for discussing changes to the institutional membership model, including annual dues, company requirements, and advise on industry views of new EBRC programs.

Board of Directors

The Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC) is a California Public Benefit Corporation exempt from income tax under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is overseen by a Board of Directors comprised of leading scientists from academia and industry. The current members of the board are Rebecca Nugent, Maitreya Dunham, Josh Leonard, Lauren Junker,  and Douglas Friedman.

History

The EBRC was founded by members of the 10-year NSF-funded Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center (SynBERC) at the conclusion of the ERC grant period. During its 10 years of NSF support, SynBERC made important early contributions to the development of the field of synthetic biology through research from members’ labs, interactions between academic and industry members, and broad-impact activities to support socially responsible innovation. A critical limitation of SynBERC was that its membership structure limited procedures for bringing new members onboard. SynBERC launched the Affiliate PI program for junior research faculty late in the grant period as an initial effort to expand its membership. Today, EBRC has launched a holistic membership nomination process for many types of members: academic, industry, domestic, and international. EBRC membership can now stay aligned with the evolution and growth of the broader synthetic biology community and we see the addition of you as a key for doing so. Many of the key activities established by SynBERC have been adopted, improved, and continued by EBRC. EBRC is continuing to develop additional new activities and programs to support and sustain the impact of research, products, discoveries, and ideas from the synthetic biology community.

Statement of Ethics

As with many other rapidly advancing technologies, engineering biology must be considered in the context of ethical uses for personal, societal, and/or environmental advancement. Researchers should consider the diverse outcomes that may result from the knowledge and innovation they contribute to the field. The EBRC has developed a Statement of Ethics in Engineering Biology Research to guide researchers as they incorporate the consideration of long-term ethical implications of their work into every phase of the research lifecycle. Our goal is to facilitate ongoing reflection and collaboration amongst technical researchers, social scientists, policy makers, and other stakeholders to support best outcomes in engineering biology innovation and development.

Read our Ethics Statement