Minutes from the Round Table on SynBio and Education

The Round Table on SynBio and Education took place last week, on December 3rd 2020. The event was chaired by Manuel Porcar (I2SysBio – Universitat de Valencia), and the invited speakers were:

• Kristie Tanner (Darwin Bioprospecting Excellence)
• Jake Beal (BBN Technologiesand University of Iowa)
• Markus Schmidt (Biofaction)

Some of the main conclusions reached during the discussion were:

1. Target audiences should be differentiated when designing scientific communication campaigns, to design tailored strategies.
2. To learn by playing and hands-on experiences should be a must in SynBio
3. Synthetic biology should be normalised and it should be part of the academic curriculum, complementing the current biology curriculum, which focuses ‘natural biology’.

If you would like to read more, you can now download the minutes of the round table.