Opening up the future(s) of synthetic biology

Emma Frow; Jane Calvert

doi:10.1016/j.futures.2013.03.001

Opening up the future(s) of synthetic biology

Emma Frow, Jane Calvert

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

21 Scopus citations

Abstract

Much of the discussion surrounding synthetic biology involves some degree of speculation about the future. This paper reports on two workshops we held with the aim of 'opening up' and exploring possible futures for synthetic biology, one at the Synthetic Biology 4.0 conference (Hong Kong, October 2008) and the other at the BioSysBio meeting (Cambridge, UK, March 2009). We developed an interactive 'causes and consequences' exercise for these workshops, with the aim of creating a space for members of the synthetic biology community to discuss issues about the future of the field that they might not regularly explore in their daily work. We analyse the outputs and discussions from these workshops in the light of three key themes: the connections between social and technical issues in synthetic biology, the roles and responsibilities of synthetic biologists in shaping possible futures for the field, and the suitability of this method for opening up discussions about the future.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	32-43
Number of pages	12
Journal	Futures
Volume	48
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2013.03.001
State	Published - Apr 2013
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Expectations
Futures
Reflexivity
Science and technology studies
Synthetic biology

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Business and International Management
Development
Sociology and Political Science

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10.1016/j.futures.2013.03.001

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title = "Opening up the future(s) of synthetic biology",

abstract = "Much of the discussion surrounding synthetic biology involves some degree of speculation about the future. This paper reports on two workshops we held with the aim of 'opening up' and exploring possible futures for synthetic biology, one at the Synthetic Biology 4.0 conference (Hong Kong, October 2008) and the other at the BioSysBio meeting (Cambridge, UK, March 2009). We developed an interactive 'causes and consequences' exercise for these workshops, with the aim of creating a space for members of the synthetic biology community to discuss issues about the future of the field that they might not regularly explore in their daily work. We analyse the outputs and discussions from these workshops in the light of three key themes: the connections between social and technical issues in synthetic biology, the roles and responsibilities of synthetic biologists in shaping possible futures for the field, and the suitability of this method for opening up discussions about the future.",

keywords = "Expectations, Futures, Reflexivity, Science and technology studies, Synthetic biology",

author = "Emma Frow and Jane Calvert",

note = "Funding Information: We thank Peter Robbins for help designing and facilitating the workshops. We are indebted to all of the workshop participants at SB4.0 and BioSysBio 2009 for their enthusiasm and contributions to the discussions. Our attendance at SB4.0 was facilitated by sponsorship from the UK Synthetic Biology Standards Network. We also are grateful for feedback about this work at a meeting on “Practices of Anticipatory Governance: Building Strong Collaborations” (November 2010, Arizona State University). This research was part of the programme of the ESRC Genomics Network at Innogen (Calvert) and the ESRC Genomics Policy and Research Forum (Frow), both based at the University of Edinburgh. The support of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is gratefully acknowledged.",

year = "2013",

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doi = "10.1016/j.futures.2013.03.001",

language = "English (US)",

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PY - 2013/4

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N2 - Much of the discussion surrounding synthetic biology involves some degree of speculation about the future. This paper reports on two workshops we held with the aim of 'opening up' and exploring possible futures for synthetic biology, one at the Synthetic Biology 4.0 conference (Hong Kong, October 2008) and the other at the BioSysBio meeting (Cambridge, UK, March 2009). We developed an interactive 'causes and consequences' exercise for these workshops, with the aim of creating a space for members of the synthetic biology community to discuss issues about the future of the field that they might not regularly explore in their daily work. We analyse the outputs and discussions from these workshops in the light of three key themes: the connections between social and technical issues in synthetic biology, the roles and responsibilities of synthetic biologists in shaping possible futures for the field, and the suitability of this method for opening up discussions about the future.

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Opening up the future(s) of synthetic biology

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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