SynBio Future - Synthetic biology for the masses!

Biohackers are a relatively new movement of enthusiastic individuals that share the goal of helping to get anyone and everyone directly involved in scientific discovery and advancement. Using relatively simple, cheap and readily available tools and machines they have developed numerous groups, projects and labs worldwide that open up research fields like synthetic biology to anyone who wants to work with them. Britt recently attended the SynBio Future conference, which brought together established academics and DIY biologists to explore the future of their shared field and the roles that they each have to play in shaping it.

Name: Britt Wray

Date: 13th March 2014

Location: Cork, Ireland

Website: http://synbioaxlr8r.com/future/

What happens when you bring synthetic biologists, DIY biologists and entrepreneurs together in one of Europe's biggest biotech hubs? Something that looks a whole lot like the Synthetic Biology Future conference.

Synthetic biology is a relatively new field of science and engineering that aims to reshape industrial manufacturing by modifying natural biological systems to make materials and devices that aren't found in nature. Synthetic biologists have been able to engineer yeast and algae to produce biofuel, make drug pre-cursors in a more economically viable way than previously possible (e.g. Amyris's artemisenin), as well as to make facsimile alternatives to high-value commodities like rubber, saffron and vanilla.

Another large focus of synthetic biology is on biosensors - engineering biological systems that cause a modified organism to, for example, change colour, glow or produce a smell, in the presence of specific chemicals or toxins. You could envisage a bacteria that would tell you if your meat was spoiled before you ate it by turning a different colour. This system was designed in 2012 by a team of undergraduate researchers from the University of Groningen.

In 2008 a global movement of do-it-yourself synthetic biologists called DIYbio was founded, which has since grown into an international network. DIYbiologists or biohackers as they're known are actively involved in conversations around synthetic biology. Biohackers are self-starting scientists (often but not always amateurs) who work outside of academia, government and industry, instead choosing to work out of home made labs in their communities, backyards, and bedrooms (e.g. http://genspace.org). They do this because they feel that access to biotechnology should be widened to anyone who wants to get involved, not only those with PhDs. In an era where life sciences and genetic engineering have such profound implications for society at large, they believe it is everyone's right to participate.

Some biohackers believe they are innovating synthetic biology by democratising the world's access to it, as inspired by the technological hackers of the 1970's who were integral to the personalisation of computer use through construction and programming. Hacking was originally a movement that greatly expanded the applications of computer science by taking it in new directions not envisioned by the established corporations.

The Synthetic Biology Future conference was created to understand what BioHacker innovations might look like as well as kick start Ireland towards becoming a global leader in commercialising those advances. As the organisers say on their website:

"before the microcontroller [small computer on a single integrated circuit], computers were seen as large, expensive things that only governments and a few large corporations could afford. Now, only 50 years later it'd be hard to imagine a world where computers weren't an essential and pervasive part of everything. So too will it be with Synthetic Biology and Biotech."

Biohackers and academic researchers often disagree over how valuable the work of biohackers can be, both for science and industry, when they lack the institutional support that fuels cutting edge research. An interesting thing happened at the Synthetic Biology Future conference that changed this expected outcome though. The biohackers and academic researchers in attendance had strikingly opposed views at the beginning of the event regarding the seriousness of biohacking's value, but as the presentations went on and debate ensued, the academics became excited about the biohacker community's promise for the field.

Dr. Matthew Bennett, the keynote speaker of the day and Professor of Biochemistry and Cell Biology at Rice University said after the event "My general impression of biohackers before the conference was that they had limited capabilities to make significant progress in synthetic biology." Dr. Bennett, along with many of his academic colleagues, felt that the biohacker community's ability to contribute to science was limited because of the comparatively antiquated technologies they use in their projects (since they are the techniques typically available on a personally practical budget). Technology is progressing at such a rapid pace that it is hard to keep up without significant resources only available to industry, government and academia. But after listening to the achievements of hackers such as Thomas Landrain, founder of La Paillasse - the world's largest non-institutional biolab - and Cathal Garvey (left on adjacent image) - an Irish biohacker who runs a functioning lab out of his parents' house (where he does not still live, I should add, to dispel any myths about the sort of person who biohacks) - some of the academics felt the need to reconsider their ideas.

Dr. Bennett revised his opinion on the value of biohacking, going on to state; "The thing that really sticks out in my mind is the ingenuity of the biohacker community. They have found novel methods to engineer biology that are remarkable." He was particularly impressed with the brilliant simplicity of Thomas Landrain's creation of 'bio-ink' by harvesting natural pigment producing compounds of soil dwelling bacteria that allow one to grow useable ink for writing and painting in their own homes. Dr. Bennett concluded that:

"Those of us in academia would never have thought of that because we are always searching for the next big breakthrough. Biohackers can take what we have learned in research and dream up novel applications. Seeing their enthusiasm, ingenuity, and creativity is invigorating. I now see that the future I had dreamed of is happening now. I can't wait to see what they come up with next."

Bill Liao, a partner at SOS Ventures, a company that invests in emerging technologies is also excited about what the biohacker community will come up next. He created the Synbio Axlr8r - a start-up accelerator for budding synthetic biologists and biohackers with commercialisable ideas - to nurture the success of their projects. Bill spoke at the conference about the importance of synthetic biology to Cork's innovation strategy, as well as to the world at large. As an entrepreneur who has been part of launching several technologies, including a novel silicon chip that revolutionised computing, Bill believes that the power of open-source technology is overdue for application to biotechnology. Bill's initial inspiration to invest in open-source synthetic biology comes from a very personal place:

"Two years ago my daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and during my intense research into her condition I discovered that previously insulin production for therapeutic purposes came primarily from pigs and that this porcine insulin had very negative side effects in the long term. With the advent of human insulin manufacture through synthetic biology using genetically reprogrammed bacteria, the majority of negative side effects have been mitigated to the extent that a type 1 diabetic can, with good blood sugar management, expect a normal life."

This very personal impact on his daughter's health led Bill to believe that progress in synthetic biology should be a priority and that open source is a powerful means to get there, it is this that prompted him to develop the Synbio Axlr8r.

How synthetic biology will help solve global problems like poverty, disease and resource scarcities depends on how the companies that enable these creations handle the distribution of their product and management of the existing methods that they replace. What's promising is the culture in synthetic biology that has formed around interdisciplinary collaboration - bringing scientists, ethicists, sociologists, biohackers, and even artists and designers together from the start of projects to try and ensure that the tech is developed as insightfully as possible.

However, nurturing interdisciplinary oversight in an emerging technological field does not necessarily ensure its sound use. Mention the word "hacker" today and you will still raise some eyebrows. Hackers have garnered considerable negative attention because of some nefarious uses of their craft since the 1970s. Similarly, most discussion of biohacking include questions of: What if someone uses the technology to make bioweapons? Can a biohacker publish or popularise scientific fallacies? What if DIYbio labs do not keep proper control over the organisms they produce? The questions around what might happen if the technology gets into the wrong hands are endless, as they always are when it comes to any technology.

New technology always carries its risks and must face public scrutiny. Biohackers themselves have been welcoming of public scrutiny on their biosafety and community oversight standards, but do distinctly lack the formalised oversight present in established institutions. As with many developing areas, it is likely that relevant legislation will come into play, in accordance with public demand, as biohacking becomes a more widely accepted pursuit. The Woodrow Wilson Centre for International Scholars published a report on the state of the DIYbio community last year called Seven Myths and Realities about Do-It-Yourself Biology (http://www.synbioproject.org/process/assets/files/6673/_draft/7_myths_final.pdf) Using the results of their survey data they argue that biohackers are not outside of or averse to regulation and monitoring of their work. Also, since they work closely in teams and interact widely with the public they are aware of the moral and ethical risks of their activities and pose minimal threat to public safety..

Many of the conference speakers highlighted are very aware of the issues and limitations of their work and showed respect for this in their presentations. The major limitation for all current synthetic biology projects is one of scale. In order to really dent industrial markets, synthetic biologists still need to find out how to sustainably scale up their products so that they can viably compete with other modes of production (biofuel of course is always on the tip of everyone's tongues). Biohackers can try their hand at developing cheap labware that could help industrial and university researchers achieve this, or even tinker with new experimental modes of biofuel production. Even if the possibilities of success are not likely, they are endless, and the biohacker line of parallel work alongside institutional biotech serves as an additional conduit of help, not havoc.As was shown at the Synthetic Biology Future event, academics and biohackers are excited about working together on a diverse range of solutions.

Biohackers and academics often share a common passion, drive and interest which feeds their projects. By sharing this they are able to overcome their distinctions, and work together on new ideas. Often, when you dig deep down enough, cross-talk between institutional and self-starting science is a necessary aspect of the future of biohacking, ensuring its credibility within the academic community and beyond. Academically qualified biohackers are the key catalyst here, it is down to them to share their knowledge in the real world. They can take their knowledge and then inspire others - those who would maybe never have otherwise entered a lab - to learn how to work in biotechnology and make valuable contributions to the future of not only biohacking but also synthetic biology.

Find out more about synthetic biology by following Britt on twitter.

(All images published with permission from the author. Do not reproduce without consent).