RCN: Mid-Atlantic Research Network for Synthetic Biology

The overall goal of this project is the creation of a research network in the Mid-Atlantic region (MD, DE, VA, NC, SC, and GA), focused on enhancing the productivity, sustainability, and resilience of water and agricultural-based resources. These entwined resources are of economic importance (> $12 billion annually) and provide food and water security.

A field of research that is proving increasingly relevant to protecting and enhancing these resources is synthetic biology. This field of scientific study is a joint application of science, technology, and engineering that manipulates cells to be used as tools to, for example, detect or mitigate biological or chemical threats in the environment. Such research already exists in the Mid-Atlantic region at academic institutions, in the private sector, and government laboratories.

However, this research often occurs in isolation nor is it drawn collectively toward solving region-level challenges. This project is bringing regional research entities into a community to determine how synthetic biology in particular can be leveraged to enhance and protect agricultural and water resources. Alongside accelerating research by making expertise and resources known and shared efficiently, this project is developing a STEM workforce as well as entrepreneurship opportunities to accelerate regional economic development.

This project represents the first phase in the development of a coordinated synthetic biology-enabled research network in the Mid-Atlantic region.

To build an evolvable, regional, synthetic biology-based research network, this project is bringing together new groups of investigators and shareable resources by investing in the development of institutional and regional web portals, regional research symposia and theme meetings to determine how synthetic biology can be leveraged to enhance and protect agricultural and water-based resources. The network also provides travel awards to catalyze new collaborative research among investigators, as well as STEM workforce and entrepreneurial development planning.

In all of these network-forming activities, the participation of students, trainees, early career individuals, and under-represented groups is a priority. Coordination of this network is managed by an Executive Committee, composed of members from across the region.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.