Systems and synthetic biology are emerging inter-related frontiers in early
21st century biology. While these new fields have generated much attention
both within and outside the world of science, time now seems ripe for a
concerted effort towards clarification of their scientific scope and
relevance to society. This calls for an organized effort in collective
thinking, among scientists and non-scientists alike, about the significance
of work being done in systems/synthetic biology, the environment within
which that work is being done, and the nature of any specific problem that
may arise. It is our conviction that potential benefits, as well as
societal, ethical and safety concerns, of systems/synthetic biology should
be addressed from the start, so that these new fields of science can further
develop in an environment of public trust.
These are some of the main issues that will be the focus of the next
inter-disciplinary EMBL/EMBO Science and Society conference in Heidelberg,
Germany.
Location:European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany
Date: 7-8 November 2008
For more information about this conference, and a list of invited
participants, please check
this:
On-line registrations from 1 February 2008
For more information please contact:
Halldor Stefansson <
stefanss@embl.de>
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