Frontiers in Synthetic Biology: SpudCells, Mirror Life & Societal Implications

Kate Adamala, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development at the University of Minnesota. Her work focuses on building and studying synthetic cells to create new tools for bioengineering, drug development, and basic research. Dr. Adamala and her collaborators recently developed SpudCell, the world’s first synthetic cell with a complete life cycle, built entirely from non-living chemical components. Her lab’s interests include the origin and earliest evolution of life, using synthetic biology to colonize space, and the future of biotechnology and medicine. In addition to her laboratory research, she works on biosafety and biosecurity implications of emerging synthetic biology technologies. Dr. Adamala is also the coordinator of the synthetic cell engineering community Build-a-Cell. She is a co-founder and advisor of bioengineering startups investigating biomedical applications of synthetic cell technologies, a Polymath Fellow of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, co-chair of the EBRC Security Working group, a member of the BioMADE Institute 4S working group and its Safety subcommittee, and co-founder and leader of the BioBOLD initiative.

R. Alta Charo, JD, is the Warren P. Knowles Professor Emerita of Law and Bioethics at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She works as a national and international consultant to industry and government, focusing on ethical governance of emerging technologies. At the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), she has served on the Boards on Life Sciences, Population Health, and Health Sciences Policy. She currently serves on the committee for the Life Sciences and Biotechnology Program and on the Standing Committee on Advances and National Security Implications of Transdisciplinary Biotechnology. Prof. Charo previously co-chaired the NASEM committee to develop national voluntary guidelines for stem cell research. Her government advisory work has included serving on DARPA’s Biological Sciences and Technology committee, as a senior policy advisor at the FDA, and as a member of President Clinton’s National Bioethics Advisory Commission. Prof. Charo also sits on the board of directors for the Allen Institute, a basic science research institute dedicated to open science, and on the ethics and policy committees of the International Society for Stem Cell Research. Prof. Charo has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the National Academy of Medicine.

Michael J. Imperiale, PhD, is the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor Emeritus of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Michigan, where he previously served as Chair of the Institutional Biosafety Committee, Director of the Doctoral Program in Cancer Biology, and Associate Vice President for Research. His research has focused on virus replication, virus-host cell interactions, and biosecurity policy, including how DNA tumor viruses regulate expression of their genes, contribute to oncogenesis, and interact with the infected cell in order to cause acute disease and persistent infections. Dr. Imperiale is a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and was an inaugural member of the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB). In addition, he has served on National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) committees addressing the issues of responsible conduct of research, dual use life sciences research, and the intersection of science and security. At NASEM, he chaired the study on Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology and co-chaired the study on Assessing and Navigating Biosecurity Concerns and Benefits of Artificial Intelligence Use in the Life Sciences.

Susan M. Wolf, JD is Regents Professor; McKnight Presidential Professor of Law, Medicine & Public Policy; Faegre Drinker Professor of Law; and Professor of Medicine at the University of Minnesota. She is Chair of the University’s Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment & the Life Sciences. Prof. Wolf is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). She is a former member of the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB).

It is the policy of the University of Minnesota to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all of its sponsored educational activities. All participating faculty are required to disclose to the program audience any financial relationships related to the subject matter of this program. Disclosure information is reviewed in advance to manage and resolve any possible conflicts of interest. Specific disclosure information for each faculty member will be shared with the audience prior to the faculty’s presentation.

The following individuals have relevant disclosures. No other speakers or moderators have relevant disclosures.

• Kate Adamala, PhD, is co-founder and board member of Biotic, a nonprofit supporting synthetic cell engineering.

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