Resources
-
Office of Science and Technology Policy Internships
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.
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.
Applications are being accepted for those with interest in engineering biology 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. Roughly 75% of the postdoc’s time will be dedicated to EBRC projects related to bioeconomy and/or in the focus areas (more detail below).
EBRC Focus Areas:
Postdocs will be an integral part of the EBRC Team and will have the opportunity to learn and make significant contributions during their appointment. In addition to the independent and focus area projects outlined above, postdocs will participate in EBRC core activities (annual meetings and retreats); contribute to EBRC cross-cutting efforts regarding bioeconomy advancement, responsible innovation, and diversity, equity, and inclusion; have opportunities for relevant training in science policy; and meet government officials and policymakers through EBRC events and, when possible, periodic trips to Washington, DC.
The EBRC Science Policy Postdoc is intended as a full time, one year appointment located in the San Francisco Bay Area. All EBRC postdocs will spend roughly 25% of their time working with Doug Friedman (EBRC President) on an agreed-upon individual science policy research project. Postdocs will develop their project based on a topic of interest and consistent with EBRC’s overall mission and strategic goals. Strong projects will leverage the postdoc’s technical background, their policy area of interest, and EBRC’s network and relationships in the engineering biology research community and throughout the US government.
Those interested are encouraged to send their CV and a Cover Letter as a single PDF to EBRC’s Executive Director India Hook-Barnard (ihb@ebrc.org) and copy postdoc@ebrc.org. In your cover letter, please indicate the focus area(s) of interest as well as initial ideas for your independent project.
Diversity statement: EBRC is interested in candidates who will contribute to diversity and equal opportunity in higher education and the engineering biology field through their work.
We offer competitive salaries commensurate with experience, as well as a comprehensive benefits package which includes medical, dental, vision insurance, 401(k)-retirement plan with a 6% match, short- and long-term disability, basic and supplemental life insurance, PTO, and a generous holiday calendar.
EBRC is an equal opportunity employer to all and makes hiring and employment decisions without regard to age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
Focused around concepts in the 2019 EBRC roadmap, Engineering Biology, this module consists of presentation slides that can be used (in sequence, or mixed-and-matched) to give students a basic understanding of the tools, technologies, and opportunities in engineering/synthetic biology.
Engineering biology draws on advances in biology, chemistry, computer science, and engineering to understand, design, and construct biological systems and organisms. As with other science and engineering disciplines, engineering biology can impact society in powerful ways; therefore, the ethical, environmental, social, political, security, and safety-related issues arising from associated technologies require thoughtful and ongoing consideration. The Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC) asserts that understanding such issues is a necessary part of research and must be considered from the outset of any project design, continuing through deployment and management of new technologies and/or products.
The EBRC further asserts that practitioners of engineering biology shall
i) seek to create products or processes that benefit people, society, or the environment;
ii) consider and weigh the benefits of research against potential harms;
iii) incorporate equity and justice in the selection and implementation
of engineering biology education, research, development, policy, and commercialization;
iv) seek to openly distribute the results of early-stage research and development;
v) protect the rights of individuals associated with engineering biology, including the freedom of
inquiry of researchers and the free and informed consent of research participants; and
vi) support open communication between engineering biology researchers and the stakeholders who might be
affected by research, development, and the deployment of new technologies.
Scientists and engineers in the engineering biology community must conduct research in a manner that is consistent with these principles in order to remain in good-standing in the community. They must also be cognizant of and communicate possible negative consequences and misuses of engineering biology research. Appropriate safeguards, informed by safety and security best practices, shall be implemented to prevent undesirable outcomes such as the development of biological or chemical weapons, environmental damage resulting from the inadvertent release of certain engineered organisms into the environment, and the use of engineering biology to perpetuate social inequalities.
The EBRC resolves to bring these principles and issues to the awareness of our community along with governmental and non-governmental organizations in the United States and around the world. We support bioethics education and training for researchers and encourage collaboration among scientists, humanists, and engineers to proactively address equity, justice, and environmental risks and benefits. We will advance the principles described here through transparent, democratic self-governance, support for appropriate public and State oversight and review, and the development, publication, and adoption of research best practices.
A free, online course on the basics of synthetic biology with a focus on programming genetic circuits.
The Engineering Biology Research Consortium is pleased to be able to provide financial support for travel to some events and activities.
Travelers may fall into one of three categories:
Category 1: Flight & Hotel Only
Category 2: Full Reimbursement
Category 3: No support available
Depending on the event, a traveler may fall into a different category than for a previous event. EBRC endeavors to provide clear guidance as to which category is in place for a particular traveler and event.
General
It is the policy of the Engineering Biology Research Consortium to support the (invited) traveler for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred during EBRC-related travel. Funded Travelers should incur the lowest reasonable travel expenses and exercise care to avoid impropriety or the appearance of impropriety. Support is allowed only when travel funding or reimbursement has not been, and will not be, received from other sources. Documentation is required for all reimbursement requests; receipts must be submitted within 30 days of the event (further details below).
Transportation
Transportation expenses for Category 1 and Category 2 travelers will generally be supported based on the most economical and commonly used mode of conveyance taking the most direct route during the authorized travel dates (the days of the meeting and, in most circumstances, one day before and/or after the meeting). If you need to make an additional stop(s) en route to the meeting or after the meeting, or travel outside the travel dates, please contact us at helix@ebrc.org in advance of booking.
Airfare Guidelines
EBRC will provide flight limits for travelers covered under Category 1 and Category 2. Payment will be made directly by the EBRC to the airline. We cannot guarantee full reimbursement for air travel made outside of EBRC. If you are not able to book through EBRC, please contact us at helix@ebrc.org.
Ground Transportation
Lodging
Travelers in Categories 1, 2, and 3 will be invited and encouraged to stay in hotel blocks booked by EBRC. EBRC will pay directly for these accommodations for Category 1 and Category 2 travelers. Category 3 travelers must provide payment at check-in. Room incidentals are not reimbursable and are the responsibility of the traveler (all travelers will be asked to provide a credit card at check-in for incidentals, per a hotel’s policy).
Meals & Incidental Expenses (Category 2 Travelers)
If a trip is less than 24 hours, meals are not reimbursable, unless there is a need for an overnight stay. Most EBRC meetings include catered meals during the meeting; the meeting agenda will indicate when meals are provided. No reimbursement will be allowed when catered meals are provided. When meals are not provided, EBRC will reimburse a traveler’s meals, with receipts, up to the U.S. General Services Administration’s limits. EBRC cannot reimburse for alcohol purchases. If purchased alcohol is included in the submitted receipt documentation, it is the responsibility of the traveler to indicate the expense and deduct the amount from the total request.
Reporting Travel Expenses for Reimbursement (Category 2 Travelers; Category 1 Travelers upon request)
Save your receipts.Business-related expenses can be claimed for actual amounts spent, with submission of itemized receipts for all transportation and meals. A valid receipt contains payee’s name, amount, date, place, identification of what was purchased and proof of payment. EBRC cannot reimburse for alcohol purchases. If purchased alcohol is included in the submitted receipt documentation, it is the responsibility of the traveler to indicate the expense and deduct the amount from the total request. If you have lost a business receipt and have exhausted all efforts to obtain a copy from the merchant, provide an explanation with your reimbursement request including the details of the purchase and your declaration that the amount claimed is the amount actually paid by you and that you have not and will not seek reimbursement from any other source.
Exceptions
Requests for exceptions to this policy should be made as soon as possible. To request an exception, please contact us at helix@ebrc.org. This includes questions or deviations for complex travel situations.
Health and Safety
Vaccination against COVID-19, influenza, and other infectious diseases is highly recommended for in-person event participation. EBRC will employ masking and social distancing requirements per CDC and state and local guidelines to ensure the safety, health, and comfort of our participants.
This video describes how synthetic biology might enable humans to live on another planet for generations, and highlights some of the capabilities we already have and how they could be used to engineer plants – and perhaps even people – to survive and thrive in a new environment. The presenter, Lisa Nip, also touches on the ethical and moral decisions that accompany the required biological engineering feats. While the aerospace engineers are working on getting us to Mars, everyone should take part in the conversation about what we can do when we get there, and this is a great video to start that conversation.
Video from TEDx Talks.
“Gene drives” are a hot topic in biotechnology, with many potential applications and ramifications. Gene drives could be used to control disease transmission, perhaps even eradicating certain diseases. There are a host of ethical issues to consider regarding gene drives too, from ecological impacts to nefarious uses by parties with bad intentions. But in order to understand all of this, it is important to have at least an initial, basic understanding of what a “gene drive” is. This video provides a quick, visually-illustrated, easy-to-understand explanation of a gene drive that will let you understand the ongoing conversations about gene drives and also think critically about their future impacts.
The 2006 MIT iGEM team makes normally stinky smelling bacteria smell like bananas and mint, and openly discuss their design process in a charming presentation of really special work. The control of scent by growth phase increased the tools and the imagination for cellular inputs and outputs.
A 30 minute overview of synbio, its applications and a brief description of the techniques used in biotechnology. A very accessible video designed for the general public, it has engaging and clear animations.
Produced by iBiology.org, this video features EBRC member Dr. Christopher Voight.