Join us for a new series of workshops exploring technologies at the interface of biology, engineering, academia and industry. This series will provide practical advice on how to make the most of the latest biological technologies, and how research can be applied in commercial and non-profit environments.
Accessible Automation
Will Canine
CO-FOUNDER AND CPO, OPENTRONS
Democratizing the Means of Biotech Production: Opentrons First 8 Years
https://opentrons.com/
Will comes from a background in community organizing and political campaign management, but decided to pursue technology as a more effective way to change the world. Obsessed with microbiology since an early age, Will became interested in open-source lab automation as a lever for accelerating scientific research while working at Genspace during his master’s degree at NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program in 2014. When not working to make lab robots for everyone, he likes to read books (always physical copies, particularly sci-fi and evolutionary theory) and go for long runs.
Opentrons provides open source hard and software for democratising lab robotics for biologists. Their mission is to provide the scientific community with a common platform to easily share protocols and reproduce each other's results. Their robots automate experiments that would otherwise be done by hand, allowing the community to spend more time pursuing answers to some of the 21st century’s most important questions.
Dr. Nicola Patron
GROUP LEADER & BIOFOUNDRY DIRECTOR, EARLHAM INSTITUTE
https://www.earlham.ac.uk/nicola-patron
Nicola Patron is a molecular and synthetic biologist interested in the natural and engineered transfer of genetic material between genomes of different species. Her lab is focused on engineering photosynthetic organisms for industrial biotechnology and crops that are healthier to consume and less environmentally damaging to cultivate.
As recipient of a 2015 SynbioLEAP fellowship, Nicola was recognised as an emerging leader in synthetic biology with a vision and aspiration to shape biotechnology for the public good. She is particularly interested the societal impacts of synthetic biology and the complex intellectual property issues that surround genetic sequences, DNA and natural products. Nicola is an advocate of responsible and ethical innovation and of open-source tools for biotechnology. She is also active in promoting diversity and inclusivity in science.
Joining Details:
https://zoom.us/j/98823233963?pwd=MUlHaDJLdGUvWmtlNWJJamhsVXhIUT09
Passcode: 4b8nW8gWmr
Practical Technologies: Tools for Engineering Biology Series
The SynBio IRC is pleased to announce a new series of workshops providing practical advice for researchers interested in exploring the latest biological technologies. The workshops will explore how novel technologies can be used to drive research with real-world applications. Sessions will look at both the development of technology and it's transfer into the public realm via both commericialisation and non-profit companies and initiatives.
The workshops will feature speakers from academia, industry and the non-profit sector, giving insite into the whole lifecycle of application-driven technologies, from ideas and develeopment to being used by consumers. The sessions will showcase different methods used to deliver research outcomes, including spin-outs, non-profit companies and open-access projects
Workshops will be held monthly, Tuesday 3-4:30pm
29th Jun: Open Tools for Bioproduction
27th Jul: Low-Cost Microscopes
31st Aug: Open Technology Frameworks
28th Sep: Accessible Automation
26th Oct: Soft Robotics
30th Nov: Novel Sensors
14th Dec: Next-Generation Scanning Microscopes
For queries: coordinator@synbio.cam.ac.uk