On August 11-13, 2023, the Synthetic Biology Infrastructure Seminar II (Knowledge & Practice Workshop) was held in the Life Science Park of Guangming District, Shenzhen, hosted by Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology and organized by the Major Infrastructure for Synthetic Biology Research (hereinafter referred to as the Infrastructure), where more than 70 experts and more than 100 rising stars in the field of life science, gathered to have a dialogue on the new vision of synthetic biology development, integrating their knowledge and practice.
The seminar was presided over by Liu Chenli, vice president of Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Biology, president of Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology and chief scientist of the Infrastructure and the advocate of the Knowledge & Practice Initiative. The attendees had a dialogue on three topics, namely the present and future of synthetic biology infrastructure (eight speakers), the synthetic biology perspective of mammals (12 speakers) and the mathematics perspective of synthetic biology effort (six speakers). Integrating Knowledge and practice, the event promoted the joint effort of the participating experts and the construction teams of Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology and the Infrastructure.
The attendees pose for a photo
Through delivering the report on “Infrastructure Supporting Theoretical Research and Industrialization of Synthetic Biology”, researcher Liu Chenli showed the actual application and industrialization prospect of the Infrastructure in each research field, hoping that after the completion of the Infrastructure, it could provide excellent services for each field and usher in a bright future. Later, seven experts of the Institute respectively introduced their insight and understanding on the construction of the Infrastructure and expressed their sincere expectation to co-build and co-utilize the Infrastructure and advance the development of life science in China with life scientists nationwide based on the latest research and industrialization achievements of synthetic biology infrastructure and the prospect of synthetic biology research and infrastructure.
Then, 18 experts in the fields of life science and mathematics from Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University and other domestic first-class research institutions shared their academic concepts and research achievements, and how to develop their respective research systems from the perspective of synthetic biology.
At the end of the seminar, all attendees had an in-depth discussion on topics such as how to co-build and share the synthetic biology infrastructure with experts and scholars at home and the mathematics perspective of quantitative synthetic biology, providing a clearer strategic layout and solutions for the development of synthetic biology research and infrastructure in Shenzhen.
All the attendees visited the microbial functional islands and mammalian cell culture screening island that have been built in the synthetic biology infrastructure. With the help of intelligent, automated and high-throughput equipment, the infrastructure was equivalent to an intelligent “biological factory”, which can finish a close-loop research of “design, building, testing and learning” efficiently with a low cost and multiple cycles. It can achieve a rational design and synthesis of artificial lives, which helps tackle and address the new “bottlenecks” for original innovation, complete an advanced intelligent life system design and manufacturing platform, provide an innovative research platform for global synthetic biology research, industry and big science program, keep promoting the incubation and commercialization of achievements and supporting the study and addressing of synthetic biology challenges.
A visit to the synthetic biology infrastructure
After the seminar, some attendees paid a visit to Shenzhen Engineering and Biological Industry Innovation Center (hereinafter referred to as “Industrial Center”). The Industrial Center is an innovation and entrepreneurship platform built by the government of Guangming district and Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, which is constructed based on the upstairs industrial application research and downstairs business incubation management. It has initiated the model of “Upstairs and Downstairs Innovation and Entrepreneurship Complex” in China, effectively broken the time and space obstacles to scientific research and industrial incubation, set up a whole-chain business cultivation model of “research, commercialization and industry”, greatly shortened the cycle from original innovation to industrial application and achieved “two-way promotion” of research and industry.
A visit to Shenzhen Engineering Biological Industrial Innovation Center
The seminar has not only put forward feasible opinions and suggestions for the near-term, mid-term and long-term development plans of the Infrastructure, but also provided opportunities for in-depth exchange among the researchers in the fields of life science and mathematics.
It also allowed them to exchange experience and views and explore the mechanism of win-win cooperation on how to co-build and co-utilize the Infrastructure and make it better serve the life science research in China. In the future, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology and the Infrastructure will join hands with experts in this field nationwide to integrate their Knowledge and practice and promote the “late-mover advantage and strategy” of China in the field of synthetic biology.
