Book Club: Synthetic - How life got made by Sophia Roosth - NEW DATE!

**Due to practical circumstances, this book club is postponed to February 6th.

What we are reading:
Synthetic – How life got made by Sophia Roosth, 2017, The University of Chicago Press

With the emergence of synthetic biology, the fundamental question of biology as the science of life has been rephrased. What is life? Sophia Roosth examines the question by writing the history of synthetic biology and the people and companies working in the field. The development begins when a computer scientist tries to model a simple virus in the mid 1990s and fails. He then decides to reengineer the virus to make it fit his model. This radical approach marks the convergence of engineering, design and biology and the beginning of synthetic biology.

When life can be created in a laboratory, the distinction between ‘synthetic’ and ‘natural’ life is destabilized, knowing that these concepts are by no means naturally given themselves. The discoveries that come with the ability to synthesize and edit the genome of ourselves and other organisms question the limits of what it means to be human. Research in the human microbiome has shown that we are much more than mere humans. In fact alien microorganisms in our guts perform essential tasks that maintain our wellbeing. Perhaps soon we also have to incorporate synthetic DNA in our conception of ourselves as humans. In this sense the development in biology raises questions that reach far outside the labs and the discipline of biology.

We hope that you want to discuss these questions with us. You do not need to study or work in synthetic biology or have any kind of specialist knowledge about the subject in order to join.

Your hosts of this session are:
Sune Fredskild. He studied geography and urbanism and likes to think about the interface between technology and culture.

Introduction to synthetic biology by Mélanie Buffel.
Mélanie Buffel is a French bioengineer, specialised in genetics and genomics. She studied biotechnology during her technical bachelor and decided to specialise in plant improvement and modifications during her three years of engineering school. Having a lab background, she has hands-on experience with genome editing techniques and different branches of biotechnology. She will introduce us to the world of synthetic biology and the questions raised by the technology about life and the living.

About the venue: Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design (CIID), Toldbodgade 37, København, 1253, dk