Future Organisms Countries
Our countries theme examines the development of synthetic genomics in Japan, the UK and USA.
Questions were are asking include: What promises and expectations are embedded in policies for synthetic genomics in our three different countries? How do past memories and experiences shape actions today? And how can we create spaces to unpack these visions shaping the future of synthetic genomics?
Countries Workshop Highlights
‘Engineering Life: Legacies of Asilomar’, Rice University, Houston
USA, 8th-9th May 2023
With additional funding from the Edinburgh-Rice Strategic Collaboration Award, we expanded the scope of our countries workshop to include the historical governance of biotechnology, notably the Asilomar meeting of 1975. Starting in early 2023, our team met monthly to organise two key events: a spring meeting in Houston and an early fall meeting in London.
The Houston meeting, held May 8-10, gathered over 28 participants from across the globe, including scholars in history, sociology, ethics, and synthetic biology. This unique convergence led to rich discussions on the lasting impact of science policy since the advent of genetic engineering. A senior biologist expressed newfound appreciation for historical perspectives, and an engaging roundtable featured Rice synthetic biologists discussing their work in the context of these legacies. A notable path-breaking science journalist also contributed, enhancing the interdisciplinary dialogue.
Reflecting our commitment to supporting junior and early career scholars, we are very pleased to report that several doctoral students from the Rice synthetic biology program attended the meeting and made good connections over lunchtime meals with colleagues (including with a Rice alumna who is now a distinguished professor of the history of science at Princeton). Since the meeting, a doctoral student in the synthetic biology program has also asked Campos to serve on her committee. At a more junior level, an undergraduate student from Campos’ history of genetics seminar gave a powerful paper that drew perhaps the most interested response from the collected experts in the room.
We also hosted two public events: a lecture evening with Jane Calvert and photographer Klaus Pichler, and a film screening of _Make People Better_ followed by a Q&A. These sessions drew diverse audiences and fostered valuable new connections, fulfilling our commitment to work with artistic production as a means of enhancing the dissemination of our project. Overall, the conference received rave feedback, praised as a great model of interdisciplinary dialogues. The Houston meeting complemented a related Rice Global conference in Paris, laying the groundwork for our next event in the UK.
Despite technical challenges that required creative solutions, the conference was highly successful, even capturing memorable moments like a group photo during an unplanned fire alarm.
“Creating spaces for responsible innovation in synthetic biology,” Nuffield Council on Bioethics
London, UK, 5th-6th September 2023
Our second meeting shifted focus from historical events to future-oriented discussions about biological innovation and its policy prospects. Hosted by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics in London, this workshop brought together 26 participants from the UK, USA, and Japan, including policy makers and experts in synthetic biology governance. The intimate setting facilitated lively, interdisciplinary discussions, drawing attendees from universities of Exeter, Manchester, Nottingham and Imperial College London in the UK, Colorado State University in the USA, and Keio University in Japan, as well as representatives from key UK organisations including UK Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), the Royal Society of Biology, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Wellcome Sanger Institute as well as the Nuffield Council on Bioethics.
Inspired by the Asilomar meeting’s legacy discussed in Houston, we explored the concept of creating “spaces” for responsible research and innovation (RRI) rather than just addressing “issues.” The workshop aimed to explore using contingency and serendipity as tools and methods for thinking about the present and the future of RRI spaces. Participants were asked to prepare narratives about past RRI experiences or future plans and to bring artefacts that they would like to see placed in a future archive of spaces for responsible innovation. This led to insightful introductions and spontaneous conversations that shaped our discussions in unexpected ways.
Day one featured personal stories and structured talks about making spaces for RRI. Artefacts included: newspaper reports on scientific developments, horse chestnuts, a hand-made sculpture, the Aboriginal historical monograph Dark Emu, a brick, a commemorative mug, a wooden duck, the sci-fi novel Jurassic Park, a picture of a fractal, and a box of tissues. (see figure above)
On day two, Luis Campos highlighted the difference between “useable pasts” and “lessons from history,” emphasizing the role of contingency in navigating future challenges. We then brainstormed practical ways to implement RRI in various contexts.
A key takeaway was the need to embrace unpredictability rather than trying to rigidly engineer RRI, with unplanned, peripheral moments—like coffee break chats—being crucial for meaningful engagement. Afterall, recognising the contingency of the past helps us cope with the contingency of the future. We received very positive feedback (see figure on the left) that praised the event’s inclusivity and cross-disciplinary connections, highlighting the benefits of collaboration across different levels of expertise.