Supporting Responsible Innovation of Synthetic Cells: Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Environmental Considerations (2026)
Chapter: Appendix C: Public Meeting Agendas
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Appendix C
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Appendix D: Biosecurity, Dual Use, and Cross-Domain Oversight Questions for Synthetic Cell Research
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix C: Public Meeting Agendas." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2026. Supporting Responsible Innovation of Synthetic Cells: Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Environmental Considerations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/29325.
Appendix C
Public Meeting Agendas
COMMITTEE ON THE EXTERNAL REVIEW OF ENVIRONMENTAL, BIOSAFETY, AND BIOSECURITY CONSIDERATIONS FOR SYNTHETIC CELL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
VIRTUAL
MARCH 18, 2025
OPEN SESSION
| 3:30–3:45 | Perspectives from Study Sponsor on the Statement of Task |
| Steve Peretti, National Science Foundation | |
| Anthony Garza, National Science Foundation | |
| Wenda Bauchspies, National Science Foundation | |
| 3:45–4:30 | Roundtable Discussion with Committee and Study Sponsors |
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix C: Public Meeting Agendas." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2026. Supporting Responsible Innovation of Synthetic Cells: Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Environmental Considerations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/29325.
HYBRID
WASHINGTON D.C.
APRIL 22, 2025
OPEN SESSION
| 10:00–11:00 | Addressing Environmental, Security, and Safety Gaps for |
| Engineering Biology Research & Development Panel | |
| Chris Wozniak, Environmental Protection Agency | |
| Kate Adamala, University of Minnesota | |
| Leyma P. De Haro, Merrick & Company | |
| Vaughn Cooper, University of Pittsburgh | |
| 1:15–2:30 | National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) Panel |
| Staff from the NSCEB will brief the committee on their 2025 report, Charting the Future of Biotechnology. The discussion will focus on the aspects of the report most relevant to safety, security, and environmental considerations for future engineering biology research and development. | |
| Caitlin Frazer, Executive Director | |
| Sam Weiss Evans, Senior Policy Advisor | |
| Steven Moss, Senior Policy Advisor | |
| Joe Buccina, Director of Research and Policy | |
| Anastasia Bodnar, Senior Policy Advisor | |
| 2:30–3:30 | Artificial Intelligence/Automation Convergence in Engineering Biology Panel |
| This session will explore the impact of AI, automation, and their convergence with engineering biology on biosafety, biosecurity, and environmental considerations. It will examine how AI and automation can both increase risk and enhance security and safety. | |
| Mike Imperiale, University of Michigan | |
| Gigi Gronvall, Johns Hopkins University | |
| 3:30–4:30 | Perspectives from Study Sponsor on Updated Statement of Task |
| Theresa Good, National Science Foundation |
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix C: Public Meeting Agendas." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2026. Supporting Responsible Innovation of Synthetic Cells: Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Environmental Considerations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/29325.
HYBRID
WASHINGTON D.C.
APRIL 23, 2025
OPEN SESSION
| 9:00–10:00 | Industry Perspectives on Environmental, Safety, and Security |
| Considerations for Engineering Biology | |
| Steve Evans, BioMade | |
| Lauren Junker, BASF | |
| James Diggans, Twist Biosciences | |
| 10:00–11:15 | Funders Perspectives of Environmental, Safety, and Security |
| Considerations for Engineering Biology | |
| Megan Palmer, Advanced Research Projects for Health (ARPA-H) | |
| Ernie Glover, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation | |
| Valerie Martindale, U.S. Army Research Laboratory | |
| Andrea Hodgson, Schmidt Sciences | |
| 11:15–12:15 | Public Trust and Perception: Informing Safety, Security, and |
| Environmental Risks | |
| Michael Zaroukian, Michigan State University | |
| Dietram Scheufele, University of Wisconsin-Madison | |
| Christina Agapakis, formerly Ginkgo Bioworks |
VIRTUAL
JULY 22, 2025
OPEN SESSION
| 12:35–3:30 | Frontiers of Synthetic Cells: Applications and Insights Panel and Moderated Discussion |
This session will address the following questions:
|
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix C: Public Meeting Agendas." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2026. Supporting Responsible Innovation of Synthetic Cells: Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Environmental Considerations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/29325.
| |
| Lynn Rothschild, National Aeronautics and Space Administration | |
| John Glass, J. Craig Venter Institute | |
| George Church, Harvard University | |
| Elizabeth Strychalski, National Institute of Standards and Technology | |
| Cheemeng Tan, University of California, Davis | |
| Michael Booth, University of College London | |
| Neha Kamat, Northwestern University | |
| Juan Perez-Mercader, Harvard University | |
| 3:30–5:10 | State-of-the-Art Approaches to Biotechnology Risk Assessment and Mitigation Panel and Moderated Discussion |
| This session will deepen understanding of contemporary biotechnology risk assessment and mitigation strategies, with a focus on how these approaches intersect with real-world practice. It will examine state-of-the-art methodologies that can be applied or adapted to synthetic cells and other emerging biotechnologies to promote responsible innovation and enable proactive risk management. | |
| Rebecca Mortiz, Colorado State University | |
| Ben Trump, University of Michigan | |
| Richard Lenski, Michigan State University | |
| Greg Jaffe, Jaffe Policy Consulting, LLC |
HYBRID
BOSTON, MA
SEPTEMBER 24, 2025
OPEN SESSION
| 9:05–10:45 | Exploring Benefits and Risks of Synthetic Cells Applied to Agriculture Panel |
| This session brings together leaders in engineering biology, biotechnology policy, and federal innovation programs to examine the opportunities and challenges of deploying synthetic cells in |
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix C: Public Meeting Agendas." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2026. Supporting Responsible Innovation of Synthetic Cells: Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Environmental Considerations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/29325.
| agricultural systems, with a focus on balancing potential benefits with responsible oversight. Panelists will explore what lies ahead for synthetic cells in agriculture, including current limitations, approaches to risk assessment, and strategies for mitigation. | |
| Pam Silver, Harvard University | |
| Yonatan Chemla, Massachusetts Institute of Technology | |
| Abhi Singharoy, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency | |
| Jeff Zaleski, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency | |
| 10:45–12:00 | Decision Making and Risk Management in the Context of Synthetic Cells |
| This session will explore approaches for making decisions and managing risks in the emerging biotechnology area of synthetic cells, where uncertainty is high and data are often limited. Panelists will share perspectives on assessing risks without robust datasets, addressing challenges of overconfidence, and applying robust decision making frameworks when probabilities are unknown. | |
| Granger Morgan, Carnegie Mellon University | |
| Josef Oehmen, Technical University of Denmark | |
| Igor Linkov, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center | |
| 1:00–2:30 | Moderated Roundtable Discussion |
| This session will be a structured discussion with invited experts focusing on core questions central to the committee’s charge. | |
| Patrick Boyle, former Ginkgo Bioworks | |
| Rebecca Caruso, Harvard University | |
| Yonatan Chemla, Massachusetts Institute of Technology | |
| Liyam Chitayat, Massachusetts Institute of Technology | |
| Igor Linkov, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center | |
| Juan Perez, former SynLife co-founder | |
| Pam Silver, Harvard University |
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix C: Public Meeting Agendas." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2026. Supporting Responsible Innovation of Synthetic Cells: Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Environmental Considerations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/29325.
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix C: Public Meeting Agendas." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2026. Supporting Responsible Innovation of Synthetic Cells: Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Environmental Considerations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/29325.
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix C: Public Meeting Agendas." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2026. Supporting Responsible Innovation of Synthetic Cells: Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Environmental Considerations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/29325.
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix C: Public Meeting Agendas." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2026. Supporting Responsible Innovation of Synthetic Cells: Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Environmental Considerations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/29325.
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix C: Public Meeting Agendas." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2026. Supporting Responsible Innovation of Synthetic Cells: Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Environmental Considerations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/29325.
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