Engineering Biology Research Consortium

The Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC) is a non-profit, public-private partnership focused on advancing biotechnology and engineering biology to address broad societal needs.[1]

## Mission

[edit]

According to EBRC, the group is dedicated to bringing together an inclusive community committed to advancing engineering biology to address national and global needs.

> "We showcase cutting-edge research in engineering biology, identify pressing challenges and opportunities in research and application, articulate compelling research roadmaps and programs to address them, and provide timely access to other key developments in engineering biology. Driven by member-led working groups, we focus on Research Roadmapping, Education, Security, and Policy & International Engagement."[2]

## History, work, and membership

[edit]

The EBRC was founded in 2016 by members of the 10-year NSF-funded Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center (SynBERC) at the conclusion of the ERC grant period.[3][4] During its grant period, SynBERC made significant contributions to the field of synthetic biology through research from members’ labs, interactions between academic and industry members, and activities to support socially responsible innovation.

In 2022, EBRC entered into an agreement with NIST to develop tools for safe development of nucleic acid synthesis using artificial intelligence.[5][6]

EBRC offers members tools and events to stay aligned with the evolution and growth of the synthetic biology community.[7] EBRC develops new activities and programs to support and sustain the impact of research, products, discoveries, and ideas from the synthetic biology community.

## Select publications

[edit]

* Engineering Biology: A Research Roadmap for the Next-Generation Bioeconomy (2019)
* Microbiome Engineering: A Research Roadmap for the Next-Generation Bioeconomy (2020)
* Engineering Biology & Materials Science: A Research Roadmap for Interdisciplinary Innovation (2021)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Engineering Biology Research Consortium | ERC Program". erc-assoc.org. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
2. ^ "EBRC | An inclusive community of researchers committed to advancing engineering biology to address national and global needs". ebrc.org. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
3. ^ Zhao, Weijie (2021-01-15). "A forum on synthetic biology: meet the great challenges with new technology". National Science Review. 8 (1): nwaa252. doi:10.1093/nsr/nwaa252. ISSN 2095-5138. PMC 7665648.
4. ^ "Engineering Biology Research Consortium - GuideStar Profile". www.guidestar.org. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
5. ^ "NIST, Nonprofit Research Consortium to Develop Safety Tools for Synthetic Biology to Defend Against Potential Misuse of AI". NIST. 2024-02-16.
6. ^ "NIST Collaborates with EBRC to Enhance Safety in Nucleic Acid Synthesis Amid AI Advancements - SynBioBeta". www.synbiobeta.com. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
7. ^ Sheets, Michael B.; Atkinson, Joshua T.; Styczynski, Mark P.; Aurand, Emily R.; EBRC Education & Engagement Working Group (2023-06-16). "Introduction to Engineering Biology: A Conceptual Framework for Teaching Synthetic Biology". ACS synthetic biology. 12 (6): 1574–1578\. doi:10.1021/acssynbio.3c00194. ISSN 2161-5063. PMC 10278596. PMID 37322886.