5th Annual Sc2.0 and Synthetic Genomes Conference

On July 8th-9th 2016 scientists from around the world will convene in Edinburgh at Dynamic Earth to discuss the progress of the international synthetic yeast genome project as well as other advances in genome engineering including genome assembly methodologies, mammalian synthetic biology, lab automation and software development for synthetic biology (for more details, go to conference website: http://syngenomesconf.cailab.org).

For the past four years, the conference has focused on the ongoing Synthetic Yeast Genome Project (Sc2.0). As the world’s first synthetic, designer eukaryotic genome project, the Synthetic Yeast Genome Project has garnered global attention. The Sc2.0 international consortium is building 16 designer synthetic chromosomes encompassing ~12 million base pairs of DNA, and we are around halfway through this very exciting project.

The conference has been expanded to include a focus on Synthetic Genomes and Engineering Biology. This is a hot topic and we are thrilled to announce that this year’s program will include at least one new panel discussion as well as Keynotes from leaders in the field including Jasper Rine (UC-Berkeley), Pam Silver (Harvard), Maitreya Dunham (University of Washington) and Jim Collins (MIT). The meeting will also feature panel speakers, demonstrations of the latest in lab automation, updates from the DNA synthesis industry and an exciting poster session.

Finally, delegates will be able to experience at first hand some local yeast strains in action with a glass or two of the local craft beers. During the event delegates will also get to enjoy many of the premiere foods for which Scotland has an international reputation.

There will be plenty of opportunity to burn off any additional calories at a lively traditional Ceilidh after the conference dinner and by strolling around the beautiful old city of Edinburgh during the long midsummer days! This meeting is being sponsored by LabCyte, BBSRC, Twist Bioscience, Autodesk, Gen9, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Synthetic Genomics, SULSA, the US National Science Foundation, the University of Edinburgh, New York University, and the UK Centre for Mammalian Synthetic Biology.