2012 ANNUAL REPORT NEW LEADERS AND VISIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
The Synthetic Biology Leadership Excellence Accelerator Program (LEAP) Initiative is supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center, the Woodrow Wilson Center, and the BioBricks Foundation. For more information, please visit www.synbioleap.org or email us at info@synbioleap.org
THE LEAP VISION EXCELLENCE IN BIOTECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP
Catalyzing a community of emerging leaders in synthetic biology to create bold new visions and strategies for developing biotechnology in the public interest.
LEAP aims to build a cadre of young professionals taking on leadership roles in the synthetic biology community, and create sustainable tools and mechanisms for engaging a broader range of stakeholders in the societal role of biotechnology development.
LETTER FROM THE ORGANIZERS It is now ~40 years since the invention of genetic engineering. Products and services made by engineering biology already contribute ~2% to the US domestic economy, and the biotechnology sector is still just getting started. Over the last decade “synthetic biology� has come to represent sustained organized work to advance the process of engineering biology and to learn how natural living systems work by rebuilding them. However, actually leading biotechnology requires more than just scientific expertise and engineering prowess. Success requires an understanding of how societal needs and concerns motivate and shape innovation. We need people who can serve as leaders, who can work together to navigate and responsibly advance diverse and distributed technologies, and who enable communities and institutions. In 2012, we piloted the Synthetic Biology Leadership Excellence Accelerator Program (LEAP) to help launch a community of next generation leaders in responsible biotechnology development. LEAP was designed to do three things: (1) invest in individuals who will ultimately shape and help govern biotechnology development, (2) provide people with tools, networks and commitments to action essential to promoting responsible innovation in practice, and (3) act as a sustaining nexus of resources and support. In essence, we aimed to prepare leaders to lead.
The first class of twenty LEAP Fellows are an exceptional group of emerging leaders working across diverse communities in synthetic biology – universities, national labs, government, industry, think tanks, and community labs. They brought to LEAP their unique visions for promoting responsible biotechnology development in practice. Yet they shared a commitment to engaging across diverse organizations to improve their individual and collective efforts. The first LEAP program was a weeklong residential workshop designed to provide focused time and space for Fellows to reflect on the complexity of coupled social and technical considerations shaping their work and visions. Joining them were an outstanding leadership facilitation team, and a network of world-class experts across disciplines and sectors that shared their own real-world lessons in leading technology development and social change. We designed LEAP to germinate a practical sense of vision in steering synthetic biology to benefit society. To develop leadership skills in a concrete manner, Fellows developed ‘strategic action plans’ describing and proposing steps to address their most pressing challenges in responsible innovation in biotechnology. The topics of their plans were as diverse as the Fellows - ranging from educational strategies, to risk research management, to infrastructure for community coordination and governance - and many new plans emerged through the program as collaborative efforts. As living documents, Fellows strongly welcome your constructive input. We envision that this collection will continue and grow as a venue for proposing and vetting key biotechnology leadership visions and strategies. LEAP exceeded our expectations by bringing together a community of established and emerging leaders, and by catalyzing many new relationships, visions and strategies for realizing biotechnology’s promise. This community is already serving as inspiring examples of leaders who embrace tough questions about how to make the future of biotechnology better, together. We are excited to share with you here highlights from the inaugural LEAP. To find out more about the program including the next LEAP, read the full plans, and receive program news and updates please visit us at synbioleap.org Megan J. Palmer Drew Endy
“Synthetic Biology has profound implications for the future of medicine, chemistry and energy, and for the future of our planet. For this reason, the field attracts socially-minded researchers who are eager to use its potential to address the important challenges of our day. The LEAP program and the essays in this collection embody the spirit of the synthetic biology community at its best. The SynbioLEAP community represents the leading edge of a coupled technical and social effort driven by deep human compassion to invent a better, more sustainable future for all of us.� Jay Keasling Hubbard Howe, Jr. Professor of Biochemical Engineering University of California, Berkeley Associate Laboratory Director Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Chief Executive Officer Joint BioEnergy Institute Director Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center (SynBERC)
”LEAP offers a unique opportunity to strengthen the relationship between science, engineering, and public policy. Early exposure to policy issues prepares future S&E leaders to make informed public policy decisions based on scientifically sound evidence. When practitioners are afforded the opportunity to wrestle with the challenging legal, social, and ethical implications of their work early in their careers, they will be better prepared to engage in public policy formation and to communicate with the public.” Anne-Marie Mazza Director,Committee on Science, Technology, and Law Director, Mirzayan S&T Policy Graduate Fellowship Program The National Academies
“Synthetic Biology is clearly on a transformative path, and LEAP is remarkably effective in its ability to model and bring together so many important viewpoints - industry, academic, legal, government, law enforcement, public relations; leading through example, the experience is one which can be especially valuable to those primarily trained in leading edge research, such as our senior scientists and engineers at Agilent Laboratories.” Darlene Soloman Senior Vice President Chief Technology Officer AgilentTechnologies
TABLE OF CONTENTS THE COMMUNITY
THE 2012 PROGRAM
leaders across diverse sectors who are committed to
skills, tools and networks to engage a spectrum of
working together to shape biotechnology development
organizations involved in shaping biotechnology.
The LEAP community comprises existing and emerging
in the public interest.
Through this program, LEAP Fellows build their
Workshop 27
Fellows 13
Highlights from the flagship LEAP activity -
Our yearly class of emerging leaders
a week long intensive leadership workshop
from across the synthetic biology community
Visions & Plans
Mentors 25
Fellow-authored strategic plans to address
A growing community of program alumni
key needs and opportunities in advancing
and world-class experts in the diverse
synthetic biology in the public interest
disciplines and sectors shaping biotechnology Partners & Organizing Team The core LEAP team and partners from Sponsoring Organizations who provide strategic vision and support
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NEW LEADERS AND VISIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
LEAP 2012 FELLOWS
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LEAP 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
PATRICK BOYLE is Wasilla, Alaska’s, first synthetic biologist. He recently completed his Ph.D. in Pamela Silver’s lab at Harvard Medical School. His graduate work there included in silico modeling of yeast metabolism, engineering organelles, improving biohydrogen production, circadian metabolomic analysis, and plant engineering. Patrick’s interest in alternative energy and the environment led him to the Harvard University Center for the Environment, where he studied the scientific, engineering, and political challenges of combating climate change. He has also collaborated with Synberc and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars to evaluate the potential environmental consequences of growing engineered cyanobacteria at industrial scales. Patrick currently leads the development of the Organism Design Pipeline at Ginkgo BioWorks, a synthetic biology company that
CHRISTINA AGAPAKIS is a synthetic biologist whose research explores the role of design, ecology, and evolution in biological engineering. Her scientific work spans many scales, from proteins to plants to microbial communities. Through collaboration with biologists, engineers, artists, and designers, she explores the technical and aesthetic dimensions of synthetic biology from a broad perspective. In addition to her research and teaching in biological engineering and design, she explores the social and ethical dimensions of biological engineering through writing and film. Having recently completed her Ph.D. in Pamela Silver’s lab at Harvard University, Christina is currently a postdoctoral researcher in UCLA’s Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, and a L’Oréal USA For Women in Science Fellow.
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makes and sells engineered organisms.
LEAP 2012 FELLOWS
ANNE CHEEVER is an American Association for the
Advancement of Science-Science and Technology Policy Fellow and Foreign Affairs Officer at the U.S. State Dept. in the Office of the Geographer and Global Issues. The lead analyst focused on international scientific issues, she is responsible for all-source analysis, research, and intelligence support to the Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs and the U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change. She also conducts extensive outreach and intelligence liaison with other science and technology focused agencies. Previously she was a postdoctoral fellow at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute where she studied the molecular mechanism of selenium incorporation. Anne has a Ph.D. in Cell and Developmental Biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
ANDREW CHANG is a Ph.D. candidate in chemistry
at Stanford. He completed his undergraduate studies at Harvard. His doctoral research in Christina Smolke’s lab focuses on the design of synthetic RNA switches for programming sensing, processing, and control functions within cells and their application to chemical biosynthesis and targeted cellular therapies. As a teaching assistant, Andrew has taught classes in chemistry, physics, bioengineering, and mathematics; worked at the Tech Museum in San Jose, CA; and helped start Stanford’s first iGEM team. Currently he’s launching a Ph.D.-wide mentoring program that pairs Stanford doctoral students with Ph.D. alumni mentors. He is broadly interested in science and technology policy, education, and entrepreneurship.
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LEAP 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
MARC FACCIOTTI is an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Genome Center at the UC Davis. He received his Ph.D. in Biophysics from UC Berkeley in 2002. Marc’s laboratory currently focuses on comparative genomics and the systems biology of gene regulatory network structure, dynamics, and evolution covering a broad range of activities, from integrated omics to molecular structure dynamics along the way. He is ultimately interested in integrating his research expertise in the context of synthetic biology. In 2009, he founded the UC Davis iGEM team and has mentored teams every year since. Marc also has a strong interest in undergraduate education, and in enhancing the diversity of hands-on creative opportunities for his students. He also enjoys playing drums with a local jazz ensemble.
JOHN CUMBERS has been a synthetic biologist at NASA Ames since 2008, where he has been instrumental in starting NASA’s Synthetic Biology Program. He also organized the first workshop on the applications of synthetic biology to NASA’s mission. John has a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry from Brown University, where he studied the mechanisms of radiation resistance and cold tolerance in cyanobacteria from extreme environments. John recently joined the UC Santa Cruz University Affiliated Research Center at NASA Ames as an Associate Scientist and works in the area of bioelectrosynthesis, using electricity as an energy source to fuel metabolism for the production of food in space. John is also the founder of SynBioBeta, a website, conference and network for synthetic biology startup companies.
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LEAP 2012 FELLOWS
MICHAL GALDZICKI is a senior fellow in the Department of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education at the University of Washington. His research is focused on informatics for synthetic biologists. He works on the Synthetic Biology Information Lifecycle Management for the Enterprise project with Professors John Gennari and Herbert Sauro, in collaboration with Dr. Evren Sirin from Clark and Parsia, LLC. Michal completed his Ph.D. in Biomedical and Health Informatics at the University of Washington in 2012. As part of his dissertation research project, he cofounded the Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL), an information exchange standard for biological engineering. Michal continues to serve as an SBOL Editor. His previous research at the Children’s Hospital Boston examined the genetic basis of autism. He received a B.S. in Biology from the University of Maryland in 2002, and a M.S. in Bioinformatics from Boston University in 2005.
MICHAEL FISHER is a molecular biologist and
protein engineer with extensive experience in science outreach and in promoting the welfare of academic researchers. A postdoctoral scholar with UC Berkeley’s Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI), Michael uses synthetic biology tools to enhance the tolerance of microbes to biofuel-relevant chemicals. Due to his interests in public engagement and advocacy, Michael coordinates outreach events with the EBI, was president of the UC Berkeley Postdoctoral Association, and co-founded the UC Berkeley Postdoc Industry Exploration Program, which connects postdocs and graduate students with Bay Area life sciences companies. Michael has a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Princeton; a B.S. in Biology from the College of New Jersey.
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NATHAN HILLSON co-founded TeselaGen Biotechnology in 2011 and serves as its Chief Scientific Officer. Nathan also works at Berkeley Lab, where he develops foundational technologies that accelerate the biological design-build-test engineering cycle. Nathan also developed j5, a software tool that supports DNA design and cost optimized assembly instruction generation using advanced synthetic biology techniques. TeselaGen was awarded the commercialization and distribution rights to j5, which serves as one of the foundational technologies in TeselaGen’s Biological Design Automation platform. Nathan’s doctoral research at Harvard Medical School investigated how microbes synthesize antibiotics and other natural products. He was a postdoc at Stanford, where he developed a wholecell uranium biosensor and researching bacterial cell-
KARMELLA HAYNES is an assistant professor at Arizona State University’s School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering. She also serves as the head judge for the iGEM competition. She earned her Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics at Washington University, St. Louis. Postdoctoral fellowships at Davidson College and Harvard Medical School introduced her to synthetic biology. Her work on bacterial computers was featured on NPR’s Science Friday and in 2008 was recognized as “Publication of the Year” by the Journal of Biological Engineering. Today, her research aims to regulate therapeutic genes by engineering human chromosomes. Karmella is motivated to share mammalian cell resources through open-source repositories so that the synthetic biology community can cooperatively accelerate science’s progress towards rationally designed therapeutics.
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cycle regulation.
LEAP 2012 FELLOWS
ELLEN JORGENSEN is a biomedical researcher and a passionate advocate of citizen science. After years in biotech companies, she co-founded the community biolab, Genspace. The DIY lab’s mission is to promote science literacy and demystify advances in bioscience though engaging the public in a hands-on manner. Genspace was awarded Best Social Study in Synthetic Biology at SB 5.0 for communicating synthetic biology to non-scientists. Ellen has spearheaded many of Genspace’s outreach programs such as the Urban Barcode Project, a collaboration between Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Genspace where high school students pursue projects using DNA barcoding. She has served as Genspace’s president for the past two years. Ellen has also been a mentor to iGEM teams.
LOUISE HORSFALL is a lecturer in Biotechnology and Synthetic Biology, based within SynthSys – Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology, at the University of Edinburgh. Her research group is interested in multidisciplinary challenges, and her current projects include the application of synthetic biology tools and techniques to bacterial nanoparticle production, bioremediation and complex polymer degradation. She has a number of partnerships with industry as well as academic collaborations within the UK and across Europe. Prior to joining Edinburgh, she worked as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Glasgow with Prof. Susan Rosser, and at the University of Leeds in the interdisciplinary Astbury Centre. Louise holds an M.Chem. from the University of Oxford, and a DEA and Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the Université de Liège, Belgium.
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LEAP 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
DEREK LINDSTROM is a research scientist in the Molecular Tools lab at Agilent Laboratories, the core research program within Agilent Technologies. Derek received his Ph.D. in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology from the UC Santa Cruz and was an American Cancer Society postdoctoral fellow at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. His current research focuses on developing fundamental tools and methods for synthetic biology with the aim of making them so accessible that they will no longer be considered specialized tools for synthetic biology, but simply tools for biology.
DAVID SUN KONG is a synthetic biologist, artist, and community organizer based out of Cambridge, MA. He conducted his graduate studies at MIT’s Media Laboratory and received a masters in developing technology for printing nanostructures with energetic beams. He was awarded a Ph.D. for demonstrating the first gene synthesis in a microfluidic, or “lab-on-achip,” system. He currently conducts synthetic biology, microfluidics, and digital fabrication research at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory. He is also leading the formation of EMW, a new art, technology and community center in Cambridge, MA. David has performed around the country as a DJ, beat-boxer, vocalist, and rapper and he is an award-winning vocal arranger and producer. He is also a published photographer, and has an upcoming exhibit at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.
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LEAP 2012 FELLOWS
SARAH MUNRO is a bioengineer in the Biosystems and Biomaterials Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). She develops reference materials, data, and methods to provide confidence in biological measurements. Her current research efforts include analysis of RNA external spikein controls for method validation in RNA sequencing gene expression measurements, integration of functional genomics measurements to design new proteome reference materials, and development of new technical programs in metrology to support synthetic biology applications. She recently completed a National Research Council postdoctoral research associate award term at NIST and earned her Ph.D. in Biological and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University.
RYAN MORHARD is an Associate at the Center for Biosecurity of UPMC. His work focuses on critical biosecurity, public health, and domestic preparedness law and policy aimed at strengthening U.S. national security and resilience by reducing dangers posed by epidemics, biothreats, nuclear disasters, and other destabilizing events. Specifically, he has written on the medium-term future of biotechnology and biological dangers and resulting strategic concerns for homeland and national security. Ryan is an associate editor of Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Biodefense Strategy, Practice, and Science, and serves as editor of Preparedness Pulsepoints, a weekly update on government action on readiness and response. He received his J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis and his B.S. in Neuroscience from the University of Pittsburgh.
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LEAP 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
KEITH TYO is assistant professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Northwestern University. Keith’s research group develops synthetic biology technologies to improve the quality of life for the extreme poor. Keith’s previous research was to engineer microbial hosts for the production of polyesters, nutraceuticals, small molecule drugs, and protein therapeutics. Keith received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from MIT and was a NIH National Research Service Award Postdoctoral Fellow at Chalmers University in Sweden. Keith’s work in metabolic engineering and systems biology has appeared in Science, Nature Biotechnology, and BMC Biology. At Northwestern, Keith is the advisor for the Global Health and Sustainability Biotechnologies certificate program in the Masters of Biotechnology Program; he also co-directs the Recombinant Protein Production Core Facility.
RYAN RITTERSON is using synthetic biology to design and engineer new photo-controllable proteins, focusing on the cell-cell adhesion protein cadherin. Outside the lab, Ryan has worked to engage and interest the public in science and its relationship to society, especially in a world where most basic research is publicly funded. He is a fellow and founding member of the Synthetic Biology Practices Working Group, and a former member of the Synberc Student Leadership Council. Ryan has a passion for tackling public policy challenges in synthetic biology and hopes to make the “LeAP” into policy work after graduate school. Ryan is nearly finished with his Ph.D. in Biophysics at UC San Francisco; he received a B.S. in Computational Engineering Science from UC Berkeley.
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LEAP 2012 FELLOWS
WALTER VALDIVIA is a fellow in the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings. He studies innovation policy and inequality, and focuses on technology transfer and the governance of emerging technologies. Valdivia’s published work includes studies of: public values of the Bayh-Dole Act, wage disparities resulting from the emergence of nanotechnologies, and the tensions between academic freedom and national security with respect to export controls. He has also co-authored a policy report assessing R&D investments in Arizona. His current research examines the distributional outcomes of various modes of university technology transfer, the institutional path-dependence of innovation, and the role of academic freedom in the governance of emerging technologies. Valdivia holds a B.S. in economics from Universidad Católica Boliviana, and an M.S. in economics and a Ph.D. in public administration from Arizona State University.
JEFF UBERSAX leads the Biology group at Amyris, a renewable products company based in Emeryville, CA. Prior to leading the Biology group, he led the high-throughput screening group and helped drive the develop of Amyris’ automated strain engineering platform and the synthetic biology method employed to rapidly assemble modular pieces of DNA and put them into yeast. Prior to joining Amyris in 2008, he was a Helen Hay Whitney Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Chemical and Systems Biology at Stanford University. He received his Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology from UC San Francisco and his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.
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NEW LEADERS AND VISIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
LEAP MENTORS
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LEAP 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
MENTORS LEAP Mentors support the Fellows, their ideas, and the vision for the program, by lending encouragement, making key introductions, providing advice, and helping to shape the program.
SPENCER ADLER Founder, SynBio Investors, LLC
NANCY K. BURGESS Founder, SynBio Investors, LLC
ROBERT CARLSON Principal, Biodesic
MARGARET DICK Dir. of Strategic Comm., SHO, “Years of Living Dangerously”
DAVID SINGH GREWAL Associate Professor, Yale Law School
RICHARD JOHNSON CEO, Global Helix LLC
PETER JUTRO Deputy Director for Science and Policy, EPA
THANE KREINER Founder, SynBio Investors, LLC
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LEAP MENTORS
CHITRA KRISHNAN Executive Director, Transverse Myelitis Association
NATALIE KULDELL Faculty, Department of Biological Engineering, MIT
MARY MAXON Biosciences Dir. of Development Lawrence Berkeley Labs
KEN OYE Directory, Program on Emerging Technologies, MIT
HEMAI PARTHASARATHY Senior Partner, Torch Communications
ELEONORE PAUWELS Research Scholar, Woodrow Wilson International Center
RANDY RETTBERG President, iGEM
DANIEL SAREWITZ Co-Director, Consortium for Science
JOHN WARNER President & CTO, Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry
EDWARD YOU Special Agent, Biological Countermeasures Unit, FBI
LAURIE ZOLOTH Director, Center for Bioethics, Science and Society Northwestern School of Medicine
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NEW LEADERS AND VISIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
PARTNERS AND ORGANIZING TEAM
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LEAP 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
STRATEGIC PARTNERS LEAP’s Strategic Advisors represent leaders from key partner organizations. They provide critical vision and support to the LEAP program and its growing community, and also serve as program mentors.
PAULA OLSIEWSKI Director, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
JAY D. KEASLING Director, Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center
THERESA GOOD Director, National Science Foundation
HOLLY MILLION Executive Director, BioBricks Foundation
DAVID REJESKI Director,Science and Technology Innovation Program (STIP)
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PARTNERS AND ORGANIZING TEAM
FACILITATORS Knowinnovation is a facilitation team focused on accelerating innovation through creativity, problem solving, leadership, managing change, research, and technology. They have run innovation workshops for scientists and engineers across the world.
ANDY BURNETT
ZELLA KING
TOBY SCOTT
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LEAP 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
ORGANIZERS The LEAP Organizers are the foundation that anchors LEAP and its activities. They engage, coordinate and grow the LEAP community and vision. MEGAN PALMER Deputy Director, Practices Thrust of Synberc
DREW ENDY Assistant Professor of Bioengineering, Stanford University
Megan Palmer is the Deputy
Drew Endy is a founder of
Director of the Practices Thrust
the field of synthetic biology
of Synberc, a research fellow
one of its most public leaders.
at UC Berkeley, a visiting
He is Assistant Professor of
Scholar at Stanford University
Bioengineering at Stanford
and an affiliate of the Center
University. Drew’s research
for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) at Stanford. She manages a portfolio of projects to develop, promote and advise on practices and policies for responsible biotechnology development. Megan has successfully launched a number of programs engaging synthetic biologists in the broader impacts of their work. Among these is the Leadership Excellence Accelerator Program, which aims to cultivate a generation of research leaders who can develop and promote practices and policies for responsible biotechnology development. She has organized many forums on societal aspects of synthetic biology, including a workshop series that developed a rapid, inclusive format for creating strategic timelines for biotechnology, and an interdisciplinary scholars program. Megan ran several programs examining the public role of science and technology during her Bioengineering PhD at MIT.
focus is on developing foundational tools that make it easier to engineer biology so that many more biotechnology applications can be readily realized– from medical therapies, to chemical and materials manufacture, to environmental sensing and remediation. Endy founded and is President of the the BioBricks Foundation, a non-profit working to develop and open access to the tools of biotechnology. He also co-founded the Synthetic Biology working group, the Registry of Standard Biological Parts, and the International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) competition, a worldwide genetic engineering competition in which thousands of students from around the world participate. In addition to the BioBricks Foundation, Drew has also been instrumental in founding several other organizations, including the Molecular Sciences Institute, Codon Devices, and Gen9. He received a Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering from Dartmouth College.
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PARTNERS AND ORGANIZING TEAM
KEVIN COSTA Managing Director, Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center Kevin Costa is the Managing Director of the Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center (Synberc), a multi-university effort to help lay the foundation for synthetic biology and train a new cadre of bio-engineers. Kevin has been involved in strategic planning at Berkeley Lab, operations management in the software development sector, and medical writing. His interests include science communication, data systems for research management, science policy, and the social considerations of synthetic biology. Currently, he is working to develop a sustainable organizational venue for the academic and industrial synthetic biology research community.
LAUREN HA Global Relationship Lead, BioBricks Foundation Lauren Ha is the Global Relationship Lead at the BioBricks Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting the development of biotechnology in the public interest. Mrs. Ha began her management career in 1997 when she joined Sydney Brenner to establish the Molecular Sciences Institute (MSI) in Berkeley, California. In her role as Vice President of Administration, she helped the MSI win the designation of “Center of Excellence in Genomic Sciences” from the U.S. National Institutes of Health and raised over $25M in research funding. At the BioBricks Foundation, Mrs. Ha coordinates the development of long-term strategy and secures funding for its programs. She is currently working to develop a network of design/build labs around the world (Global BIOFAB Network) and is coordinating a global technology roadmapping effort for synthetic biology. In addition to her work with the BioBricks Foundation, Mrs. Ha is engaged in policy research on science and technology’s role in innovation and regional economic development in Japan, in collaboration with the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. She also serves as Founder & President of Creative BioWorks, a biotechnology consulting firm based in the Research Triangle Park area of North Carolina. Mrs. Ha received her B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of South Carolina.
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NEW LEADERS AND VISIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
WORKSHOP
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LEAP 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
THE LEAP WORKSHOP LEAP prepares leaders to lead by providing 5 ‘P’s:
Proficiency: practical knowledge of:
• the technical, social, political and economic landscape shaping biotechnology
• how this maps to current challenges in synthetic biology, and
• skills and strategies for working across organizations to advance solutions.
Practice: Hands-on experience in framing problems and devising solutions for real-world challenges.
Peers: A network of people at a similar career stage to provide co-mentorship and support.
Partners: A professional network across relevant organizations that can create an ecosystem for accelerating new ideas through mutual learning and critical resource sharing.
Productivity: Learning by doing via creating materials and planning projects that enhance performance and engagement of broader communities of practice.
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WORKSHOP
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LEAP 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
LEAP Fellows spend a week working together to develop strategic plans to advance the field of biotechnology. With the help of a professional facilitation team, they are guided through lessons and hands-on exercises designed to build core leadership skills – including identifying needs, creative problem solving, communicating, and strategic planning – and then apply these skills to develop their particular plans.
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WORKSHOP
The workshop serves as an incubator and launchpad for Fellow to develop their visions and plans for advancing biotechnology to create societal value. The LEAP Fellows are also joined by a group of distinguished guest expert mentors from diverse facets of biotechnology development. Mentors work with the Fellows on their plans, and share their personal leadership stories and challenges.
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LEAP 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
“LEAP provided time to think and to plan a strategy which can direct my research toward the public benefit by embracing responsibility as a leader.” “I feel as if my career trajectory has undergone a major shift in a positive direction. How to act as an effective leader seems so much more palpable.”
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WORKSHOP
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LEAP 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
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WORKSHOP
“The participants and speakers were world-class experts in their fields. Their varied perspectives changed how I think about my responsibility in the field and to the public.” “LEAP provided a space for unfettered imagination, for dreaming big ideas to change the world for the better, and crucially, resources and mentorship to help realize those ideas. It was a transformational experience.”
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NEW LEADERS AND VISIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
THE LEAP STRATEGIC ACTION PLANS
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LEAP 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
2012 STRATEGIC ACTION PLANS A core component of LEAP is germinating a practical sense of vision in steering synthetic biology to benefit society. To accelerate the development of leadership skills in a concrete manner, Fellows develop ‘strategic action plans’ at the Workshop. These plans describe Fellows’ own key challenges in responsible biotechnology development, and propose actionable steps by which they can be addressed. As living documents, the authors strongly welcome your constructive input as they continue to refine and enact their plans. We envision that this collection will grow to be a venue for for proposing and vetting key biotechnology leadership visions and strategies. The first class of twenty LEAP Fellows developed thirteen co-authored white papers describing their visions and plans in development. Paper themes varied widely – ranging from educational models, to risk research and standards development. Several topics also emerged through the workshop as common challenges. Many LEAP Fellows have already begun implementing and refining their plans. We’ve helped catalyze new courses and workshops, new research grants, engaged with funding and policy leaders, and much more.
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LEAP STRATEGIC ACTION PLANS
EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY
RISK RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT
Enhancing Undergraduate Education to Drive
Synthetic Biology Biosecurity Tabletop and
Responsible Growth of the Bioeconomy
Corresponding Educational Tools
Marc Facciotti
Ryan Morhard
Worldwide Network of Community Labs
Coherent Block Funding for Microbial Environmental
Ellen Jorgensen
Risk Assessment and Mitigation Strategy Development Nathan Hillson
ORGANIZATION AND COLLABORATION Love Our Monsters –
STANDARDS AND SHARING
Radical Collaboration in a Post-Disciplinary Age
A Vision for a Synthetic Biology Standards Consortium
Christina Agapakis
Michal Galdzicki, Sarah Munro, Patrick Boyle
International Synthetic Biology Society
Jeff Ubersax
Andrew Chang, Anne Cheever, Michael Fisher,
Metafluidics
Jeff Ubersax, Louise Horsfall
David Kong
Opening New Channels for Industry-Academic Relations
Incentive-Driven Information Sharing for
Derek Lindstrom and Nathan Hillson
Engineering Biology Karmella Haynes
GOVERNANCE AND RESPONSIBILITY Circumventing the Paradox of Regulating
IDENTIFYING NEEDS
Emerging Technologies
SBICE: Synthetic Biology Integrated Concurrent
Walter Valdivia
Engineering Framework
A Call for a Public, Democratically Deliberative Facet in
John Cumbers
Synthetic Biology Policymaking
Synthetic Biology for Global Health: A Problem-Driven
Ryan Ritterson
Approach to Healthcare Innovation Keith Tyo
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LEAP 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
ENHANCING UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION TO DRIVE RESPONSIBLE GROWTH OF THE BIOECONOMY By Marc T. Facciotti In 2011, the U.S. bioeconomy generated an estimated
to the increasing costs of healthcare delivery and
$300 billion of revenue. Advances in foundational
energy. These opportunities challenge educational
technologies such as synthetic biology are lowering
institutions to enhance training programs, foster
barriers to biotechnology, enabling a growing number
innovation and entrepreneurship, and to promote the
of people to participate. Technological advances
responsible/ethical use of biotechnology. We identify
and the democratization of biotechnology present
new opportunities for research universities to help drive
opportunities for economic growth, particularly in
growth in the bioeconomy, highlight existing efforts
areas like small-scale, distributed biomanufacturing.
and propose new opportunities, and describe some of
In addition to growth, technical advances springing
the associated “boots-on-the-ground” challenges that
from the bioeconomy also present great hope for
must be addressed before widespread implementation
reducing the severity of some of our nation’s most
can succeed.
pressing financial challenges, particularly those related
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LEAP STRATEGIC ACTION PLANS
WORLDWIDE NETWORK OF COMMUNITY LABS By Ellen D. Jorgensen Community biolabs are a natural environment
it to have a more open relationship with the eventual
for thoughtful examination and discussion of the
end user. Here, anyone can become an innovator
implications and ethics surrounding cutting-edge DNA-
or inspire others through peer-to-peer teaching.
based technologies. Creating a network of such spaces
Community labs supplement existing educational
could have a profound effect at the grassroots level
programs and encourage the next generation of young
on both science education and the public perception
researchers by providing hands-on lab training and
of synthetic biology. Organizations such as Genspace
mentoring. Identifying and distributing best practices for
have demonstrated that reframing the synthetic biology
community lab startup and making them freely available
laboratory facility as a neighborhood resource can
would accelerate the development of a network of these
demystify and democratize biotechnology, allowing
resources both nationwide and worldwide.
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LEAP 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
LOVE OUR MONSTERS - RADICAL COLLABORATION IN A POST-DISCIPLINARY AGE By Christina Agapakis Over the past decade, synthetic biology has disciplined
applied research of synthetic biology often benefits from
itself. Synthetic biology aims to make biotechnology a
the input of many more disciplines, fields that remain
“true engineering discipline,� through the application
as outsiders even in the dynamic and interdisciplinary
and adoption of engineering design principles. As
field of synthetic biology. This strategic plan describes
biology and engineering have merged in synthetic
how recent partnerships between synthetic biology and
biology, the blurring of the boundary between science
art, bioethics, policy, and law show the potential for a
and technology has created a new discipline, complete
new model of post-disciplinary research, one where
with its own boundaries and its own discursive
biological designs are conceived and deployed through
methods for creating, reinforcing, and enforcing those
active collaboration to create technology that functions
boundaries. While these boundaries serve to define
effectively, safety, sustainability at the human scale.
useful goals and productive challenges for the field, the
50
LEAP STRATEGIC ACTION PLANS
INTERNATIONAL SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY SOCIETY By Andrew Chang, Anne Cheever, Michael A. Fisher, Jeff Ubersax, Louise Horsfall Synthetic biology offers significant promise for
the needs of diverse synthetic biologists seeking to
advances in health and medicine, food and energy
steer and propel the broader trajectory of the field.
production, and environmental sustainability. Realizing
A synthetic biology society could provide accurate
this potential requires continued commitment
and timely information about the state of the field to
to driving bio-innovation, ensuring biosafety and
practitioners, policymakers, and the public. It would
biosecurity, and building a robust bioeconomy. This
serve as a community forum to foster discussion,
strategic action plan proposes the formation of an
debate, and collaboration among diverse stakeholders
International Synthetic Biology Society to support the
and engage the public in learning about, and informing,
responsible development and deployment of synthetic
members’ research. We aim to increase awareness and
biology in the public interest. While many disparate
understanding of technical advancements to illustrate
organizations are working in synthetic biology, there
how synthetic biology affects, interacts with, and
is currently no primary organization supporting
enriches our lives.
LOUISE HORSFALL
JEFF UBERSAX
ANNE CHEEVER
ANDREW CHANG
MIKE FISHER
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LEAP 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
DEREK LINDSTROM
NATHAN HILLSON
OPENING NEW CHANNELS FOR INDUSTRY-ACADEMIC RELATIONS By Derek Lindstrom and Nathan Hillson An effective approach to building relationships
from an academic postdoctoral position into a tenure-
between culturally distinct organizations is through
track faculty position by providing funding for both
immersive experience. This strategic plan proposes
career stages. By broadening the K99 model to allow
to create an opportunity to place academic scientists
awardees to select an industrial position as part of
into an industry-based postdoctoral position without
their career path, we can leverage the advantages that
jeopardizing their ability to compete effectively for
make current K99 awardees highly competitive when
tenure-track academic positions. In essence, we are
they search for tenure-track positions. We believe
offering a return ticket to academics interested in
that synthetic biologists would be particularly drawn
gaining industrial experience. The mechanism that we
to activating this award option and in doing so will
present is a modification of the NIH K99/R00 Pathway
catalyze a broader collaboration between industrial and
to Independence award (the K99). This is an extremely
academic biology.
effective award mechanism that promotes the transition
52
LEAP STRATEGIC ACTION PLANS
CIRCUMVENTING THE PARADOX OF REGULATING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES By Walter Valdivia New technologies create, at once, the need for
Advisory Board for Biosafety and Biosecurity. The
regulation and resistance to it within regulatory
regulatory Board, composed by distinguished experts
agencies. Each bureaucracy is bound by law to protect
in the relevant disciplines, would issue non-binding
public health and the environment, but also seeks to
authoritative recommendations for regulating specific
avoid the risks of expanding the scope of its authority
aspects or functions of the new technologies and assign
and having to mediate the concomitant political
them to specific agencies. The board’s non-compulsory
controversies. Hence, the paradox of regulating
nature, as well as its inclusive membership, suggests
emerging technologies. As part of a set of measures to
that its recommendations could help to legitimize
address this paradox, we propose an advisory board for
administrative action and reconcile the political tensions
the regulation of emerging technologies, fashioned after
inherent to regulation
boundary organization such as the National Science
53
LEAP 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
A CALL FOR A PUBLIC, DEMOCRATICALLY DELIBERATIVE FACET IN SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY POLICYMAKING By Ryan Ritterson While the synthetic biology community enjoys support
tools, and, because synthetic biology has the potential
from a majority of people aware of its activities, it
to change many lives in direct and profound ways, one
remains unknown to most of the nation. Further, policy
facet of the vision must be an incorporation of public
makers do not rely on a coherent vision of synthetic
ideas. To accomplish this, this action plan proposes
biology in order to make regulatory decisions. This
a public dialogue in the style of a Deliberative Poll, a
leaves a partial vacuum in the public decision making
model used successfully in many nations. The UK held
capacity for these new technologies that could stunt
a similar discussion and successfully incorporated its
their development. Creating a unified vision for
suggestions into its synthetic biology roadmap.
synthetic biology will require many new approaches and
54
LEAP STRATEGIC ACTION PLANS
SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY BIOSECURITY TABLETOP AND CORRESPONDING EDUCATIONAL TOOLS By Ryan Morhard This Strategic Action Plan proposes convening
risks and consequences of a biosecurity emergency,
essential stakeholders within the synthetic biology and
this learning tool would also increase understanding
biosecurity community to participate in a biosecurity
between the research community and those federal
tabletop exercise. This exercise will allow us to design
entities responsible for biosecurity. Creating a shared
a web-based learning tool that enables students,
understanding and facilitating communication
scientists, policymakers, and emergency professionals
among those who practice synthetic biology and
to run virtual biosecurity simulations. The in-person
the policymakers who lead government programs
exercise, as well as the web-based simulation, would
responsible for biosecurity risk and consequence
aid in establishing norms for researchers to follow in
management creates opportunities for improved
the lab. In addition, by offering instructive scenarios
coordination and comprehension, and sets the
on ensuring the safe practice of synthetic biology,
foundation for policies and regulations that not only
as well as in the evaluation and management of the
preserve security but also inspire innovation.
55
LEAP 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
COHERENT BLOCK FUNDING FOR MICROBIAL ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT By Nathan Hillson Coherent Block Funding is a mechanism for government,
make it difficult to accomplish meaningful outcomes,
industry, and institutional agencies to support and
Coherent Block Funding can sustain real-world test-
coordinate the assessment of environmental risks
bed infrastructure and provide return on investment
posed by genetically engineered microbes, as well as
through establishing which mitigation strategies are
the development of strategies to mitigate these risks. In
actually effective. This strategic action plan aims to
short, a single block of funding would support several
garner high-level support within federal and institutional
testing facilities, in addition to multiple individual
agencies to prioritize Coherent Block Funding as a
investigators developing mitigation strategies. Unlike
support mechanism for genetically engineered microbe
current funding mechanisms which distribute funding
environmental risk assessment and mitigation strategy
piecemeal at 5% or less of larger science projects, do
development.
not align the incentives of separate investigators, and
56
LEAP STRATEGIC ACTION PLANS
A VISION FOR A SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY STANDARDS CONSORTIUM By Michal Galdzicki, Sarah Munro, Patrick Boyle, Jeff Ubersax The promise of synthetic biology to be instrumental in
improve quality of life while considering environmental
improving global quality of life and economic security
and health safety issues. This action plan proposes the
cannot be realized if there is not a concerted effort to
development of measurement, performance, and safety
transform synthetic biology innovations into useful,
standards for synthetic biology by a multi-stakeholder
safe, and affordable products. As synthetic biology
consortium as an effective way of ensuring the
continues to develop, growing numbers of government
responsible development and wide acceptance of this
and non-government organizations have focused on
technology.
how synthetic biology could be used to responsibly
MICHAL GALDZICKI
JEFF UBERSAX
PATRICK BOYLE
SARAH MUNRO
57
LEAP 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
METAFLUIDICS By David Sun Kong Synthetic biologists need great tools to realize
these issues I propose in this action plan to develop
their creative visions. Microfluidic, or “lab-on-a-
metafluidics, a toolkit for microfluidics. The metafluidic
chip,� instrumentation has the potential to be such
toolkit leverages digital fabrication to make devices easy
a foundational tool for synthetic biology. Despite
to manufacture, abstraction hierarchies for enabling
numerous examples of microfluidic devices performing
intuitive interfaces to make them easy to use, and finally
complex processes central to synthetic biology, ranging
an open repository of device and hardware designs to
from automating and miniaturizing DNA synthesis to
make them easier to share and reproduce. Through
performing single cell analyses, they are not commonly
metafluidics, microfluidics will hopefully become more
used. Microfluidics are not easy to make or use,
accessible to synthetic biologists of all types, from
and researchers are typically unable to leverage the
students just learning about biology to cutting-edge
designs and hardware of other groups. To help address
innovators re-engineering organisms.
58
LEAP STRATEGIC ACTION PLANS
INCENTIVE-DRIVEN INFORMATION SHARING FOR ENGINEERING BIOLOGY By Karmella A. Haynes The public supports synthetic biology endeavors
future synthetic biology endeavors and the livelihoods
through tax dollars and private funding. The social
of students and trainees in the field. Biosafety and
mission of this action plan is to optimize the return on
biosecurity specialists will use this platform for
this public investment by facilitating the transformation
interrogation and regulation of synthetic biology
of synthetic biology research into widely accessible
practices in order to mitigate potential harm. The
information to support the development of new
scientific mission of this plan is to overcome barriers in
technologies. It describes development of an incentive-
the path toward the design of living systems by enabling
driven platform to stimulate and sustain crowd-
cooperative, community-driven characterization of
sourced data sharing. This information will support
compatible (or incompatible) biological components.
59
LEAP 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
SBICE: SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY INTEGRATED CONCURRENT ENGINEERING FRAMEWORK By John Cumbers Despite ongoing scientific and technological
biology. This methodology, known in the aerospace
advancements in the field of synthetic biology, design
industry as Integrated Concurrent Engineering (ICE),
remains a major bottleneck in the development of
has cut preliminary design time at NASA from nine
applications. The process of identifying the necessary
months to three weeks. Applying Integrated Concurrent
components that need to be stitched together
Engineering to synthetic biology (SBICE) could
remains a laborious and time-consuming task. This
significantly speed up the design, build and test cycles
strategic action plan discusses the implementation
and could reshape the way we design genetic circuits,
of an accelerated design methodology for synthetic
genomes and organisms.
60
LEAP STRATEGIC ACTION PLANS
SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY FOR GLOBAL HEALTH: A PROBLEM-DRIVEN APPROACH TO HEALTHCARE INNOVATION By Keith Tyo Synthetic Biology is a powerful technology, capable of
pursue problem-specific technologies. Significant
creating low cost, effective healthcare solutions (e.g.,
advancement could be made by sending Synthetic
drugs and molecular diagnostics) that could be used
Biology observational teams to resource-poor locations,
in extremely impoverished regions of the world. While
and based on their observational research and
the potential impact of Synthetic Biology, in general,
Synthetic Biology expertise, develop problem-specific
is compelling, two challenges have limited this impact
research plans that can be executed with in-country
to date: (1) the identification of specific opportunities
collaborators. The problem-first approach described
remains challenging, as the vast majority of Synthetic
in this plan aims to maximize impact by focusing
Biology practitioners live far away from the resource-
resources on well-formulated matches between
poor and are not intimately aware of the problems,
healthcare problems and appropriate Synthetic Biology
and (2) adequate early and mid-stage funding to
technologies.
61
LEAP 2012 FELLOWS
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LEAP 2012 FELLOWS
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