Highlights from the SynBio FSP Symposium
The Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform (SynBio FSP) held its Celebrating Science from SynBioFSP Symposium last week, providing an opportunity for the broader SynBio network in Australia to reflect on our achievements. If you missed the event, you can now catch up on all recordings from the Symposium on our virtual portal. In the meantime, we’ve pulled together 6 key moments you might have missed from our keynote speakers.
CSIRO Chief Scientist, Bronwyn Fox
“Our investment in the SynBio FSP enabled us to rapidly develop capability through a nationally- and internationally-networked community.
“The SynBio FSP team have done a fantastic job of building a national and coordinated effort in a ground-breaking area of research, and I really want to commend you all for your hard work and perseverance.
It’s really exciting to say that the era of Synthetic Biology has truly arrived.”
SynBio FSP Director, Colin Scott
“Today, Australia has a much more vibrant opportunity landscape for our early career scientists. Lots of companies, lots of academic opportunities, and lots of places to go. I think we can be very excited about the future of SynBio in Australia.”
CSIRO Land and Water Science Director, Paul Bertsch
“Some of the energy that I experienced at the early [Synthetic Biology FSP] workshops… by the post-doc cohort and across the innovation system was just unprecedented. The building of our community of practice and enabling of each other has been a tremendous experience for me. We are just so proud of many of the post-docs that have stepped up and delivered excellent science, but also science with purpose.”
Main Sequence Ventures Partner, Phil Morle
“[Thanks to synthetic biology], our industries and our economy can move from being commodity-driven into selling products to the world which are value-add. The potential is not incremental, it’s a step change in value for our local industries.”
The effort and momentum that’s happening in Queensland right now… is becoming known globally and it is attracting people to come here and build synthetic biology-based industries with us.”
ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology Centre Director, Ian Paulsen
“I don’t believe the Centre of Excellence would have been funded or existed without the community building in synthetic biology that the FSP did in the early days. We are grateful for the work that CSIRO has done in supporting synthetic biology in Australia.”
SynBio Australasia President, Robert Speight
“it’s a really exciting time for synthetic biology.. there is so much optimism in the field and how it can contribute to sustainable development goals. The start-up community is really exploding and we are seeing that people can go in and get jobs and help grow the sector.”