Publication Date: June 2023 | Originally published in ACS Synthetic Biology
This publication is a companion piece to our Introduction to Engineering Biology curriculum module that was created and released in 2022.
Citation: Sheets MB, Atkinson JT, Styczynski MP, Aurand ER, EBRC Education & Engagement Working Group. Introduction to Engineering Biology: A Conceptual Framework for Teaching Synthetic Biology. ACS Synthetic Biology. 2023, 12(6): 1574-1578. doi: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00194
Keywords: education, engineering biology, synthetic biology, curriculum, curriculum modules
Disclaimer: Originally published in ACS Synthetic Biology.
Disclaimer: The following publications are intended for personal use. All persons reproducing, redistributing, or making commercial use of this information are expected to adhere to the terms and conditions as asserted by the copyright holder. Transmission or reproduction of protected items beyond that are allowed by fair use as defined in the copyright laws requires the written permission of the copyright owners.
Publication Date: October 2023
Potential Changes to the Policies for Oversight of Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC) and the Potential Pandemic Pathogen Care and Oversight (P3CO) Policy Framework: An EBRC Response to OSTP RFI 88 FR 60513.
Publication Date: February 2023
This RFI requested relevant data and information, including case studies, that may assist in identifying any regulatory ambiguities, gaps, inefficiencies, or uncertainties in the Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology, particularly with regard to new and emerging biotechnology products.
Publication Date: January 2023
This RFI sought public input on how advances in biotechnology and biomanufacturing can help us achieve goals that were previously out of reach and what steps can be taken to ensure we have the right research ecosystem, workforce, data, domestic biomanufacturing capacity, and other components to support a strong bioeconomy.
This workshop is by invitation only, with a limited number of attendees. This active writing workshop will focus on drafting our technical research roadmap to advance engineering biology tools and technologies for human health and well-being in space and related application opportunities on Earth.
Registration for this workshop is now closed.
Detailed Agenda Coming Soon! The workshop will be held at the J. Craig Venter Institute in La Jolla, CA. Participants can expect the workshop to run from 8:00am-5:00pm on December 14, and 8:00am-3:00pm on December 15.
Workshop Objectives
Travel Support and Meeting Hotel:
We anticipate covering travel expenses for academics, including students and postdocs. Please see EBRC’s full travel policy here.
Hotel information coming soon. Please indicate on the registration page if you anticipate needing hotel accommodations. If your travel is not covered by EBRC, you can provide payment at check-in. Please contact helix@ebrc.org with any questions.
For more information about the roadmap or workshop, please contact Emily (eaurand@ebrc.org)
This workshop is by invitation only, with a limited number of attendees. This active writing workshop will focus on drafting our technical research roadmap to advance engineering biology tools and technologies for human health and well-being in space and related application opportunities on Earth.
Registration is now closed.
For those eligible for travel support, please register by February 8; Registration closes February 16.
Detailed Agenda Coming Soon! Participants can expect the workshop to run from 8:00am-5:00pm on March 4, and 8:00am–3:00pm on March 5.
Workshop Objectives
Travel Support:
We anticipate covering travel expenses for academics, including students and postdocs. Please see EBRC’s full travel policy here.
Meeting Hotel:
Hilton NASA Clear Lake
3000 NASA Pkwy
Houston, TX 77058
Please indicate on the registration page if you anticipate needing hotel accommodations; once the workshop location has been selected, we will follow up to confirm your hotel reservation needs. If your travel is not covered by EBRC, you can provide payment at check-in. Please contact helix@ebrc.org with any questions rather than contacting the hotel directly.
For more information about the roadmap or workshop, please contact Emily (eaurand@ebrc.org)
For information on EBRC’s travel policies, please contact helix@ebrc.org.
Workshop registration is now closed. If you are still interested in attending, please email roadmapping@ebrc.org.
This active writing workshop will focus on drafting our technical research roadmap to advance engineering biology tools and technologies for human health and well-being in space and related application opportunities on Earth.
A draft agenda is available here.
Workshop Objectives
Travel Support and Meeting Hotel:
We anticipate covering travel expenses for academics, including students and postdocs. Please see EBRC’s full travel policy here.
EBRC has coordinated a block of rooms at The Georgian Terrace hotel, near the Georgia Tech campus. Please indicate on the registration page if you anticipate needing hotel accommodations; we will follow up to confirm your room reservation. If your travel is not covered by EBRC, you will need to provide payment at check-in. Please contact helix@ebrc.org with any questions.
For more information about the roadmap or workshop, please contact roadmapping@ebrc.org
EBRC Annual Meeting:
This workshop will precede the EBRC Annual Meeting, May 16-17 at Georgia Tech. Workshop participants are invited to attend. Find more information and registration here.
BIoSecurity Opportunities Nexus (BISON) is a resource that compiles all student and postdoc-relevant biosecurity opportunities (graduate and postdoc academic programs, scholarships, fellowships, internships, etc.). BISON includes both international and domestic (US) opportunities.
Registration is now closed. If you are still interested in attending, please email us at helix@ebrc.org.
We are pleased to announce that our 2024 Annual Meeting will be held May 16-17, 2024 at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, GA! We have a series of exciting events held in coordination with this year’s Annual Meeting, we encourage everyone to check them out!
Schedule of Events (please see each event page to register):
Each year, we look forward to the Annual Meeting as an opportunity to come together to share science, build community, and collaborate to advance engineering biology to address national and global needs. Attendance at the Annual Meeting is open to all EBRC members, their lab members, employees of institutional members, and all SPA members. We also warmly welcome all those at Georgia Tech with an interest in engineering biology to join us.
The EBRC Annual Meeting provides an opportunity for the engineering biology community to come together to engage on matters important to advancing engineering biology. In addition to inspiring research talks and poster presentations, EBRC’s meeting holds time to consider the larger engineering biology research ecosystem in which we all exist and work together to move the field forward. We invite you to join us to present and discuss your latest research, build relationships with your colleagues in academia, industry, and government, and advance the member-driven work of EBRC.
A draft agenda is available here! Note that we anticipate running until 5:00 PM on Friday, May 17.
Registration:
Please register here by April 15, 2024. To confirm your spot and offset some of the meal costs, there will be a nominal fee ($150 for faculty & industry and $75 for students & postdocs). If this fee is prohibitive for you or your lab members, please email helix@ebrc.org.
Abstract submissions for posters are now being accepted. Abstract submission is separate from registration. Submissions from all attendees are welcome! We encourage you to submit your latest, ongoing work as a mechanism to engage in community dialogue.
IMPORTANT DATES:
March 25: Last day to submit talk abstracts
April 10: Notification of talk selection
April 15: Registration closes* APRIL 17: EXTENDED REGISTRATION DEADLINE*
April 17: Deadline for hotel and travel arrangements by EBRC
April 26: Last day to submit poster abstracts
*registration may still be possible after this date but will incur additional costs
Annual Meeting Venue:
Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA
Meeting Hotel:
EBRC has reserved a block of hotel rooms at the Georgian Terrace at 659 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30308 at $173.00 per night (includes breakfast and WiFi). Please indicate on the registration page if you will need hotel accommodations. We will reserve the room in our block. If your travel is not covered by EBRC, you can provide payment at check in. Parking is available at a discounted rate of $25 per day. Please contact helix@ebrc.org with any questions rather than contacting the hotel directly.
Transportation:
Transportation options to get to the hotel can be viewed here. The Georgian Terrace is conveniently located along public transportation lines, you can view maps and schedules here.
Travel Support:
We anticipate covering airfare and hotel expenses for:
Individuals who will receive travel support will be contacted by email to complete their flight bookings. The meeting will conclude at 5:00PM on Friday, May 17 and we encourage those receiving travel support to find an evening flight if at all possible. We will only cover Friday night hotel expenses with prior approval. Please contact helix@ebrc.org if you anticipate needing Friday night accommodations. Please also note that travel support does not include the confirmation/meal fee ($150 for faculty and $75 for students and postdocs). Email helix@ebrc.org if this fee is prohibitive. Please see EBRC’s full travel policy here.
We encourage you to make your travel plans early, as we will cap the level of airfare support provided by EBRC. Airfare must be booked by April 17 to be eligible for EBRC support.
Health and Safety:
We are committed to hosting a safe event. We will be closely watching CDC recommendations in addition to all relevant local and state guidelines leading up to the Meeting and make any changes necessary for health and safety.
Dress Code:
The EBRC Annual Meeting does not have a dress code. EBRC values diversity and individual expression — we encourage participants to come as they are and wish to present themselves to the world.
Publication Date: July 2023
EBRC’s response to the request by the NSF for comments on the development of a roadmap to guide investment decisions of the newly formed TIP Directorate. We recommend prioritizing engineering biology research through infrastructure development, data programs, and equitable workforce initiatives to strengthen biotechnology translation and U.S. economic competitiveness. We also highlight the several crosscutting areas for investments where engineering biology overlaps with other TIP areas of interest, such as AI, materials science, climate change, and advanced robotics.
The Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC) is seeking postdoctoral scholars interested in science policy. Postdocs will leverage their previous training to work with EBRC programs and to conduct an individual research project.
Applications are being accepted for those with interest in the bioeconomy and related technical and policy influences and impacts, and those interested in any of our four focus areas: Technical Research Roadmapping, Security, Education & Workforce Development, and Policy & International Engagement. Applicants with particular knowledge, experience, and/or expertise in one of the five Application and Impact Sectors (i.e., Environment Biotechnology & Climate, Food & Agriculture, Energy, Health & Medicine, Industrial Biotechnology) and/or the four Technical Themes (i.e., Data Science, Engineering DNA, Host Engineering, Biomolecular Engineering) described in EBRC’s Engineering Biology: A Research Roadmap for the Next-Generation Bioeconomy (2019), are encouraged.
You can find more information here!
The EBRC 2023 Council Meeting will take place at MITRE, in McLean, VA (Washington, DC) on October 26-27, 2023.
Travel Support and Meeting Hotel:
We anticipate covering airfare and hotel expenses for EBRC Academic Council Members. To book your flights, please contact us at travel@ebrc.org. Please review EBRC’s revised travel policy.
Hotel information will be provided soon.
Health and Safety:
We are committed to hosting a safe event. We will be closely watching CDC recommendations in addition to all relevant local and state guidelines leading up to the Meeting and make any changes necessary for health and safety. Proof of vaccination will be required for attendance. A rapid antigen testing strategy may also be deployed depending on conditions. Meals will be provided outside.
Publication Date: July 2023
Engineering biology applications could contribute to significant emission cuts and move us toward achieving climate goals by replacing fossil fuels and fossil fuel-derived products with biobased products, transforming agriculture and industries with the introduction of low-emission and eco-friend processes and products, and building climate resilience for urban and rural communities.
Publication Date: July 2023
Recent advances in data science and engineering biology have accelerated the capabilities of microbiome engineering research. To harness these new capabilities and boost innovation, EBRC highlights technical methods, computational tools, testbed infrastructure, and data sharing requirements are in need of federal investment. These efforts should be coordinated across the Federal Government to capitalize on momentum and bolster productivity throughout the field.
Publication Date: July 2023
Deployed engineering biology products have the potential to reshape our environment, agriculture, human health, and more. Such impactful applications necessitate operation outside of traditional biocontainment vessels and thus require renewed biocontainment policies. Herein, EBRC highlights emerging biocontainment research, areas for investment, and horizon scanning activities to promote safe and responsible biotechnology innovation.
Publication Date: June 2023
Response submitted by EBRC Director of Roadmapping and Education, Dr. Emily Aurand, to the request by NSF seeking novel approaches that lead to the recruitment of diverse and creative individuals into emerging technologies. This response provides strategic recommendations to increase the rate and composition of students enrolled in both traditional and non-traditional academic pathways to STEM and high-paying technology careers.
*UPDATE* 5/7/2024 – The full report is out now! Click here to read the report.
EBRC, with partners at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Imperial College London, and the National University of Singapore (NUS), and supported by Schmidt Futures, have published a report focused on determining the engineering biology metrics and technical standards needed to accelerate the global bioeconomy. The report summarizes the key findings that emerged from global stakeholder discussions, pulling together common themes and identified needs that arose across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Within six key areas — data standards, metrology and metrics to quantify biological processes, scale-up and scale-out, lexicon and terminology, metrics and standardization for sustainability assessments, and standards to enable use of biomass feedstocks — opportunities are identified for focused activities to develop technical standards and metrics that will enable enhanced performance across the bioeconomy: improving reproducibility, supporting continued scale-up, and accelerating commercialization and industrial growth. A series of non-technical areas are also identified and explored, including: training and education on standards and metrics, engagement with the public and improvement of public perception and trust, regulatory clarity, and biosafety and biosecurity. As well as focusing on areas of common understanding, the report elaborates on some areas where distinct differences exist and global consensus might not be reached, highlighting these as potential focus areas for regional or national efforts going forward.
Task Force Leadership:
India Hook-Barnard – EBRC
Elizabeth Strychalski – NIST
Paul Freemont – Imperial College London
Matthew Chang – National University of Singapore
Andrea Hodgson – Schmidt Futures
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy just released a new report, Bold Goals for U.S. Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing: Harnessing Research and Development to Further Societal Goals. Focusing on bold goals to advance the American bioeconomy, the report is a product of directions given in Section III of the Executive Order on Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy. The report was informed by, and directly references, the recent policy papers published by EBRC, which can be viewed here.
View the full report here!
Publication Date: March 2023
The 2019 EBRC roadmap, Engineering Biology: A Research Roadmap for the Next-Generation Bioeconomy, extensively cataloged the potential for progress in the field, setting out numerous goals, possible breakthroughs, and ambitious milestones for the following 20 years. As we approached and passed the first milestone timepoint at 2-years post publication, EBRC sought to review progress in the field, compared against the advancements anticipated by the roadmap. This resulting Assessment reports on technical achievements and advancements and to barriers to progress, enabling the community to reflect on its achievements and identify areas for additional investment and infrastructure to ensure continued advancement.
Ava Karanjia is a current PhD student and NSF Graduate Research Fellow in Chemical Engineering at the University of Washington, where her research focuses on building transcriptional programs in bacteria. Ava is working on expanding CRISPRa technologies to improve methods of transcriptional signal conversion and transduction. She is also pursuing data science and astrobiology graduate certificates. Ava has undergraduate degrees in chemical engineering and microbiology from Arizona State University, where she worked on quorum sensing regulatory systems and other transcriptional activators. She has also worked at NASA Ames Research Center, where she screened and engineered non-traditional yeast candidates for in-situ microbial space technologies. Ava is a big proponent of science communication and has been actively involved in outreach efforts at the University of Washington and EBRC.