In progress
Any project, supported or not by a committee, that is currently being worked on or is considered active, and will have an end date.
Topics
Engineering biology holds great potential to transform biotechnology research to provide innovative solutions to critical challenges in health, agriculture, industry, and beyond. Scientists actively have worked to improve the design and creation of synthetic cells. Recent calls for increased predictability of designing cells that have desired functions upon their development highlight the pressing need to develop an actionable and contemplative approach to addressing environmental, safety, and security risks while maintaining research advancement and productivity. This study will analyze existing and needed approaches for assessing and reducing risks and maintaining benefits of synthetic cells to inform policy and protect public safety.
Description
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will appoint an ad hoc committee to review and make recommendations on the biosafety* and biosecurity# issues related to synthetic cells, focusing on assessing and reducing risks in both laboratory contained and environmental release applications. The committee will address the scholarship and practice of addressing these issues, focusing specifically on:
(1) An assessment of the current knowledge and practice on assessing and mitigating environmental and biosafety issues of synthetic cells,
(2) A description of the gaps and needs relating to such issues, and
(3) Actionable recommendations for the generation of decision-frameworks and approaches that would help National Security Council and Office of Science and Technology Policy as well as other federal agencies develop policy to ensure public safety.
*Biosafety refers to measures for preventing occupational infections in a biomedical environment or release of organisms to the environment (ABSA, https://absa.org/biosafety/).
#Biosecurity refers to both measures for protecting and managing “risks associated with food, agriculture, health, and environment”, and for preventing “loss, theft, or deliberate misuse of biological material, technology,” or research related information (BMBL 6th Edition, CDC, 2020).
Meetings
External Review of Environmental, Biosafety, and Biosecurity Considerations for Synthetic Cell Research and Development - Committee Meeting #8b
- December 16, 2025
- 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM (ET)
- Closed
- Meeting
- Upcoming
The committee will meet to discuss topics related to continuing to draft the report. This meeting will be held over zoom.
External Review of Environmental, Biosafety, and Biosecurity Considerations for Synthetic Cell Research and Development - Committee Meeting #8a
- December 15, 2025
- 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM (ET)
- Closed
- Meeting
- Upcoming
The committee will meet to discuss topics related to continuing to draft the report. This meeting will be held over zoom.
Collaborators
Committee
Co-Chair
Co-Chair
Member
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Committee Membership Roster Comments
Please note that there has been a change in the committee membership with the resignation of Rayvon Fouché effective 04/03/2025, R. Alta Charo effective 4/17/2024, and Melinda Kliegman effective 4/22/2025.
As of 5/15/2025, in response to a change in the statement of task, Richard Murray has stepped down as co-chair to the role of committee member and Peter Carr has taken his place as co-chair. Additionally, Kate Adamala and David Gillum were added to the committee.
Sponsors
National Science Foundation
Staff
Sabina Vadnais
Jessica De Mouy
Thomasina Lyles
