Transatlantic Exploratory Workshop on the Implications of Cutting-Edge Biotechnologies for Sustainability Science and Policy

这项提案由科学、技术和社会计划资助，支持一个关于合成生物学和可持续性科学的研讨会。研讨会的出发点是这样一个假设，即科学与技术研究（STS）不仅仅是作为自然科学和社会科学之间的竞争领域而存在，它为应对可持续发展的挑战提供了坚实而富有成效的理论模型。特别是在被标榜为“可持续”的新兴技术——如合成生物学——的情况下，科学和技术研究为以下途径提供了有用的关键镜头：1)合成生物学的承诺及其与可持续科学的实际相关性；2)新技术发展中的社会技术替代方案；3)这项技术和社会共同进化的利害关系。讲习班的总目标是不仅召集STS学者，而且召集来自欧洲和美国的合成生物学、环境科学和工程学的专家，就合成生物学对可持续性科学和政策的影响展开有指导但公开的讨论。这似乎是第一个促进合成生物学家、环境科学家、STS和可持续性专家之间合作的研究工作。在可持续性研究启发的生产性理论模型的基础上，可能会导致对合成生物学应用发展的可持续轨迹的早期反思。知识价值：本次研讨会的知识价值之一是为研究人员提供机会，在问题、不确定性和模糊性的启发下，反思可持续发展的承诺及其对我们的合成生物学案例研究的影响，而这些问题、不确定性和模糊性不仅仅是由一个形成的学科所驱动的。研讨会的成果对促进创新研究具有重要价值。更广泛的影响：这次研讨会是一个发展新的研究领域的机会——在STS，合成生物学和环境工程之间的边界——这不仅有利于更好的教学，而且有利于科学政策社区。这些成果的目标受众之一是决策者、机构专家和资助机构，他们需要对合成生物学对可持续发展构成的挑战有一个清晰的看法。研讨会的成果还向包括公众在内的利益相关者通报了合成生物学对社会和环境的潜在影响。

This proposal funded by the Science, Technology & Society Program supports a workshop on synthetic biology and sustainability science. The workshop takes as its point of departure the assumption that Science and Technology Studies (STS), rather than existing as a mere playing field between natural and social sciences, offers solid and productive theoretical models to approach sustainability challenges. Especially in the case of emerging technologies branded as "sustainable" -- like synthetic biology -- science and technology studies provides useful critical lenses for approaching: 1) synthetic biology promises and their actual relevance to sustainability science; 2) socio-technical alternatives in the development of this new technology; and 3) the dynamics at stake in the co-evolution of this technology and society. The overall goal of the workshop is to convene not only STS scholars but also experts from synthetic biology and environmental sciences and engineering from both Europe and the United States to initiate a guided but open discussion on the implications of synthetic biology for sustainability science and policy. This appears to be the first research effort promoting collaborations between synthetic biologists, environmental scientists, STS, and sustainability experts. Building on the productive theoretical models inspired by sustainability research may lead to early reflections on sustainable trajectories for the development of synthetic biology applications.Intellectual Merit: One of the intellectual merits of this workshop is to provide researchers with the opportunity to reflect about sustainability commitments and their implications for our synthetic biology case-study under the light of questions, uncertainties and ambiguities that are not motivated by only one formed discipline. The outcomes of the workshop are of value in stimulating innovative research. Broader impact: This workshop is an opportunity to develop a new area of research -- at the boundary between STS, synthetic biology and environmental engineering -- that would be profitable not only for better pedagogy, but also the science policy community. One of the target audiences for the outcomes is decision-makers, institutional experts and funding agencies, who need a clear perspective on the challenges posed by synthetic biology to sustainable development. The outcomes of the workshop also inform stakeholders in general -- including the public -- on the potential societal and environmental implications of synthetic biology.