Introduction

This conference focused on the rapidly developing areas of science in which chemists and other researchers can enhance current biology or even build completely new biological systems.

The conference aimed to play a leading role in bringing together the multidisciplinary community that will drive forward tomorrow's bioscience research.

The conference was organised into four related themes:

Theme 1: Creating New Biological Systems and Functions

Evolution has created a wide range of regulatory circuits that control gene expression and protein function. Modern synthetic technologies and directed evolution techniques make it possible to generate new variants of this natural circuitry. This session will include presentations from both perspectives, providing insight both into the diversity of molecular function that can be realised now and into the potential directions that this type of research will take in the future. 

Theme 2: Novel Biomolecular Devices

It is now possible to create a diversity of nanoscale structures and devices that have a wide range of potential applications in bioscience. For example, nucleic acids can be used as building blocks for the construction of novel structures and devices. Moreover, by combining biomolecular complexes with nanoscale inorganic or organic systems, it is possible to generate hybrid nanodevices that can act as sensors, actuators, mechanical force transducers, catalysts or optically active components.

Theme 3: Assembling Custom Bionanomaterials

Novel nanomaterials can be created via self-assembly of biomolecules produced synthetically or in living cells or via biofunctionalisation of nanoparticles. These can find a wide range of applications including biosensors, biocircuitry and imaging. This session will consider the different approaches to the design and manufacture of bionanomaterials and illustrate how chemists contribute to this rapidly developing field.

Theme 4: Augmenting Tissue Function through Chemistry

Tissue engineering is contributing to the medical care of the future with applications that range from tissue regeneration and replacement to localized drug production and release. Chemists are participating through their investigations of areas that include encapsulation, adhesion and release, dynamic hydrogels,tissue scaffolds, mineralization, self-assembly and patterning, in vivo sensing and feedback control, and microfluidics. The session will include presentations that encompass fundamental research and medical practice.

Ethics Workshop

Synthetic biology promises to yield many life-improving applications. But it also raises some difficult ethics issues.

This workshop covered the following questions:

• Will the design of organisms for industrial applications undermine our distinction between machines and life-forms?
• Is there any secular objection to the intelligent design of new species?
• How can the risk of malicious use of synthetic technologies be minimised, and the probability of beneficial use be maximised?
• Does synthetic biology create a need for scientific censorship?
• And does synthetic biology really create any new ethical concerns? 

Tom Douglas (Oxford) summarised the major ethical challenges before leading an informal discussion at this workshop to which all delegates were invited.

Venue

The conference was held in the Saïd Business School in Oxford, UK. The building in the centre of Oxford opened in 2001 and was designed by Dixon and Jones, the architects responsible for the new Royal Opera House in London.

Scientific Committee

Professor John McCarthy (chair)
The University of Manchester, UK 

Professor Andrew Turberfield
University of Oxford, UK

Professor Tony Cass
Imperial College London, UK

Professor Hagan Bayley 
University of Oxford, UK