The Synthetic Biology GRS provides a unique forum for young doctoral and post-doctoral researchers to present their work, discuss new methods, cutting edge ideas, and pre-published data, as well as to build collaborative relationships with their peers. Experienced mentors and trainee moderators will facilitate active participation in scientific discussion to allow all attendees to be engaged participants rather than spectators.
Biological systems have the powerful ability to perform precise chemical transformations, interact with molecules both organic and inorganic, perform computations, self-replicate, heal, evolve, and construct macroscopic organisms. Thus, the potential impact of synthetic biology is significant, as these capabilities can be harnessed for novel applications by engineering everything from biological molecules to multicellular assemblies.
The GRS, like the GRC that directly follows, will focus on three areas fueling the advance of the field. First, emerging tools are making it easier to engineer biology and expanding the scope of what can be engineered, such as non-model organisms. Second, qualitative insights and quantitative models of how existing biological systems operate provide design principles for more predictive engineering. Third, work to develop new applications in synthetic biology, where often particular details of context or final use case matter, is revealing new areas of impact beyond medicine, including food and energy. The GRS will provide a forum for future leaders in the field to engage with these topics in an informal setting dedicated to fostering collaboration across disciplines and nationalities.
Application Instructions
The seminar will feature approximately 10 talks and 2 poster sessions. All attendees are expected to actively participate in the GRS, either by giving an oral presentation or presenting a poster. Therefore, all applications must include an abstract.
The seminar chair will select speakers from abstracts submitted by April 13, 2025. Those applicants who are not chosen for talks and those who apply after the deadline to be considered for an oral presentation will be expected to present a poster. In order to participate, you must submit an application by the date indicated in the Application Information section above.
Program Format
Gordon Research Seminars are 2-day meetings which take place on the Saturday and Sunday just prior to the start of the associated GRC. The GRS opens with a 1-hour introductory session on Saturday afternoon, followed by a poster session, dinner and a 2-hour session in the evening. Sunday morning begins with breakfast and is followed by another 2-hour session, a second poster session, and lunch. A final 1-hour session takes place just after lunch, and the associated GRC begins later that evening.
