Co-Chair of ELEMENTAL Martin Warren, WP5 lead Liz Rylott, WP2 Co-I Keith Lindsey, and WP6 Co-I Joy Zhang, celebrating the launch of the Relational Map of Plant Synthetic Biology in the UK.
Earlier this year saw the launch of the first edition of the Relational Map of Plant Synthetic Biology in the UK, a key output of the ARIA-funded Futuring Biological Commons project, led by ELEMENTAL RRI Lead Professor Joy Y. Zhang. A first-of-its-kind effort to understand, and help shape, the evolving UK plant synthetic biology landscape, the Map explores the field as cutting-edge engineering biology expands its scientific possibilities and societal reach. A number of ELEMENTAL members played important roles in its development, refinement and launch, highlighting valuable connections across the UK’s engineering biology community.
ELEMENTAL Co-Investigator Dr Liz Rylott, who is also a Co-Investigator on Futuring Biological Commons, contributed scientific, editorial and design input throughout the report’s development. She advised on plant synthetic biology terminology and the wider global science and innovation landscape, provided critical input into the identification and representation of stakeholders and their relationships, and helped make sociological concepts accessible across disciplinary audiences.
The first edition maps the UK plant synthetic biology landscape through four interconnected themes: the historical trajectories that continue to shape emerging technologies; the expanding and evolving networks of stakeholders and the varying ‘thickness’ of their relationships; the dynamic ethical, environmental, economic and regulatory concerns that develop alongside scientific advances; and a call for collective reflection and collaboration on resources, overlooked stakeholders, new alliances, and more mutually enriching forms of public, scientific and policy engagement.
The Relational Map, together with the project’s community-building Synthetic Plant Observatory, was officially launched on 15 June at Norwich Research Park. ELEMENTAL Co-Investigator Professor Keith Lindsey contributed reflections to the opening panel on Ethics, Innovation & Rural Futures, and the launch was attended and supported by a number of ELEMENTAL members across career stages.
For Professor Zhang, the crossover between ELEMENTAL and Futuring Biological Commons demonstrates the value of connections across major engineering biology initiatives. While the two programmes have distinct scientific and research objectives, they encounter shared questions around responsible innovation, regulation, societal priorities and the relationships needed to translate emerging technologies into public value. The involvement of colleagues across both communities creates opportunities for insights and expertise to travel between them while retaining the distinct aims and identities of each programme.
The Relational Map is intended as an open, living resource, updated annually as the field develops. Through successive editions, Futuring Biological Commons aims to foster wider participation, critical reflection and dialogue among the diverse communities shaping the future of engineering biology.