Synthetic Biology - Engineering the Future
MaRS Centre, Toronto
Co-sponsored by Ontario Genomics Institute and Integrated DNA Technologies
Symposium speakers participate in a panel discussion
Click here for our photo gallery.
OGI partnered with Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT), a leading supplier of custom nucleic acids based in Iowa, to host Engineering the Future - Synthetic Biology, a one-day symposium focused on advancements, opportunities and challenges in the field of synthetic biology.
The event opened with remarks from Dr. Kamiel Gabriel, Assistant Deputy Minister of Research and Science Adviser, Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation. The symposium included presentations from leading Canadian and US researchers in the field including Drs. Daniel Gibson (J. Craig Venter Institute), Robert Holt (BC Cancer Agency and Simon Fraser University), Michael Jewett (Northwestern University), Raymond MacDonald (UT Southwestern Medical Center), Scott Rose (Integrated DNA Technologies), Mads Kaern (University of Ottawa), Vincent Martin (Concordia University) and Kristala Jones Prather (MIT). Dr. Elizabeth Edwards (University of Toronto) chaired the symposium. Various areas of synthetic biology were covered in the presentations, including synthetic genomes, promoters and specific genes, cell-free synthetic systems, hybrid genetic pathways as well as education initiatives around synthetic biology.
The speakers then engaged with the audience through a panel discussion, which focused on technology barriers in synthetic biology, including those with respect to gene synthesis and challenges of standardizing and modeling biological systems, as well as downstream applications and commercialization opportunities of synthetic biology research. The audience included more than 120 participants from across Ontario, Canada and the US, covering academic research institutions, government and industry.
The day culminated with a reception and poster session featuring seven teams from across Canada involved in the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition, a global undergraduate Synthetic Biology competition.
Click here for a full listing of the symposium presentations as well as slides from some of the presentations. Please note: due to the fact that confidential information was presented during several of the talks, only three presentations are currently available for download.
