Frontiers in Synthetic Biology: SpudCells, Mirror Life & Societal Implications

Organisation

University of Minnesota Consortium on Law and Values

Location

Live Webinar on Zoom

End

Revolutionary advances in cell engineering and synthetic biology offer enormous potential benefits, while raising vexing ethical and policy issues. Join three experts on synthetic biology, biosecurity, and bioethics to explore how to realize the promise of synthetic biology while controlling potential risks.

Register for free today at z.umn.edu/CLVsynbio

A team at the University of Minnesota has developed SpudCell — the first synthetic cell that can grow and reproduce, built from non-living chemicals. Scientists at Stanford and Arc Institute recently published on their successful use of AI to design new virus genomes. However, scientists have cautioned against creating organisms with molecules that are the mirror image of the biological components of known life, as existing organisms would have no immune defenses.

The following expert speakers will discuss the future of synthetic biology and cell engineering: Kate Adamala, PhD, Associate Professor of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota; R. Alta Charo, JD, Warren P. Knowles Professor Emerita of Law and Bioethics, University of Wisconsin at Madison; Michael J. Imperiale, PhD, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor Emeritus of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan.

The webinar is free and open to the public. Note that any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Consortium on Law and Values.

Event start time: 02:00 pm

Event end time: 03:30 pm

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