Organized by:

Victor de Lorenzo, National Center of Biotechnology, CSIC

Pablo I. Nikel, Technical University of Denmark

Guo-Qiang Chen, Tsinghua University

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Motivation and opportunity. Since the emergence of genetic engineering in the late 1970s, researchers have identified the opportunity to design microbes in the laboratory to address industrial, agricultural, biomedical, or environmental problems in situ. However, in each case, the scientific community has faced the challenge of scaling up activities from the laboratory to a real-world environment, as well as the deliberate release of such microorganisms into the specific niches where they are expected to carry  out their intended activities. The issue remains that, despite impressive advances in  genetic engineering and the programming of living environmental agents for biotechnological applications, synthetic microbiology has not yet found eYective ways to deliver the programmed activities to the sites of interest. This limitation is rooted, among other circumstances, in skepticism, and at times public opposition, surrounding the release of synthetic microbes into the environment. This issue, in turn, has created a vicious cycle of excessive regulations that have limited, and even discouraged, permission for controlled release of synthetic microbes where they are most needed. Adding to the problem, severe limitations imposed on the operational range of synthetic microbes have led to a dearth of data, which has exacerbated the cautious attitude of authorities in authorizing such applications. The current situation has resulted in stagnant prospects for the actual use of synthetic microbes that have tremendous potential to solve critical problems in our society. The ongoing progress in synthetic biology and the explosive accumulation of information on microbial ecology have brought back into discussion the possibility of using synthetic microbes beyond the  confines of the laboratory.  

Principal themes and objectives. This workshop aims at revisiting the release into the  environment of synthetic microbes developed or trained in the laboratory across diYerent biotechnological domains. We will explore both emergent technologies and new narratives in which the fundamental challenge is not control and containment, but the  integration and coexistence of laboratory-developed biological agents within the ecology and physicochemical environment of the sites that receive them. The overall objective is therefore two-fold: to review the current state of aYairs from a scientific perspective, and to provide new conceptual and technical tools to decision makers at the local and international levels. A clear framework will enable them to adapt regulations on the release of synthetic microbes to the realities of the climate crisis and to new knowledge  about microbial ecology. This knowledge supports a return to ideas first proposed in the early years of genetic engineering but never fully implemented due to a combination of public mistrust, the too-nascent state of the technologies, and a lack of genuine success  stories. 

Organization. In the context described above, we propose holding a five-day workshop at the CSHA's facilities in Suzhou. This workshop will consist of five sessions: four technical sessions will each involve advanced biotechnology in the environment, agriculture, human health, and industry; an additional session will deal with policy, regulations, and social perceptions. Each session will feature two speakers, each tasked  with delivering two in-depth presentations each on their respective topics and facilitating  thorough discussions. A draft of the complete program is appended below.  

Participants. This program will be overseen and developed by the workshop organizers and will feature ten international speakers, predominantly from the US, Europe, and Asia,  who are experts in each of the five topics. Given the unique nature of this event, we envision a relatively small gathering (30-50 people, excluding speakers and organizers).  Students (mostly PhDs and postdocs) will also be invited to contribute posters or flash oral presentations to the conversation and impact content.  

Workshop dynamics. The Workshop will start with a lecture on Oct 25 (Sunday) evening,  followed by a breaking-the-ice activity and welcome drinks. Organizers are expected to facilitate networking through dedicated activities during the meeting. These will include,  but will not be limited to, poster sessions, joint meals, meet-the-speaker sessions, and flash talks. Creative ideas regarding the facilitation/ promotion of networking will be welcomed. All participants (students and speakers) will be accommodated together and will have all meals together; this will facilitate interaction and networking. The program will include four major daily lectures (two per each of the speakers) poster sessions with some snacks and short presentations every day. In addition, there will be group activities and discussions throughout the course. Students, speakers, and trainers will have a group activity (e.g. guided visit to historic Suzhou), which will also facilitate their  interactions. In addition, students will have one evening a practical exercise in Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) of Synthetic Microbiology, organized around the  viewing of movie clips from BioFiction, the International Synthetic Biology Film Festival (http://bio-fiction.com). 

Expected outcomes. Beyond the intrinsic benefit for participants in this event and the increased visibility for CSHA as a key player in the global conversation on biotechnology beyond containment, the organizers plan to produce at least one academic article summarizing the event's scientific content, key recommendations for national and international policymakers on the topic of discussion (e.g. white paper), and the prioritization of research agendas. In this sense, we expect the Workshop to have an impact far beyond the mere sharing of data and science that is characteristic of typical scientific workshops.

2026 FACULTY ROSTER

SMBC I · Industrial Microbiology

George Chen, Tsinghua University  

Pablo I. Nikel, Technical University of Denmark

Chen Ling, Xiamen University

Lars M. Blank, RWTH Aachen University

SMBC II · Environmental Microbiology

Hongzhi Tang, Shanghai Jiao Tong University 

Victor de Lorenzo, National Center of Biotechnology, CSIC

Louise Horsfall, University of Edinburgh 

Junbiao Dai, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, CAS

SMBC III · Agricultural Microbiology

Lars Jelsbak, Technical University of Denmark

Gabriele Berg, Graz University of Technology

SMBC IV · Biomedical Microbiology    

Chao Z. Zhong, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology

Marc Güell, Universitat Pompeu Fabra  

Jérôme Bonnet, INSERM-CNRS-University of Montpellier   

Chenli Liu, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, CAS

SMBC V · Regulation of Synthetic Microbiology    

Cong Cao, University of Nottingham Ningbo  

Ravishankar Ramanathan, Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Markus Schmidt, BioFaction

Francis Hassard, Cranfield University 

2026 PRICING (INCLUDING TUITION, BOARD AND LODGING): 750 USD / 5200 CNY

No payment is due until the selection decisions are made, but any applicant requiring financial support (i.e. stipends) should make that request in written form during the online application. The admissions process is need-blind, your financial situation will not be considered before admission decisions are made.