Wellcome has awarded £10 million to the new Synthetic Human Genome Project (SynHG) to develop foundational tools, technologies, and methods that could one day enable researchers to synthesise entire genomes. This groundbreaking research has the potential to transform our understanding of health and disease, broaden our responses to climate change, and more.
We are delighted to be part of this pioneering effort by hosting the Care-full Synthesis project, led by Professor Joy Y. Zhang, which will conduct global empirical research to investigate the implications of synthetic human genome science.
As part of SynHG, a team of UK-based scientists is developing the technology to create the first synthetic human chromosome. The ability to write large genomes could significantly reshape our understanding of human biology and healthcare.
Three founding members of the Centre for Global Science and Epistemic Justice (GSEJ) will contribute to the Care-full Synthesis programme:
-
Professor Joy Y. Zhang, Principal Investigator, explains:
“With Care-full Synthesis, through empirical studies across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, and the Americas, we aim to establish a new paradigm for accountable scientific and innovative practices in the global age—one that explores the full potential of synthesising technical possibilities and diverse socio-ethical perspectives with care.” -
Professor Michael Calnan, Emeritus Professor of Medical Sociology, adds:
“This study will draw on interdisciplinary expertise and a mixture of methods to show how the social sciences are key to understanding the development, implementation, and social impact of biological innovation.” -
Dr. Trude Sundberg, former Director of Kent’s Q-Step Centre, will act as an external consultant on methodological issues. She remarks:
“By applying GSEJ’s expertise and state-of-the-art social research methods, Care-full Synthesis takes crucial steps toward a better understanding of the socio-ethical, economic, and policy implications of synthesising the human genome.”
Beyond Kent, the programme has formal collaborations with civil society organisations and external research partners across multiple continents. We will also be recruiting postdoctoral researchers in due course to join this exciting interdisciplinary effort.
Further resources:
Full press release from Wellcome:
https://wellcome.org/news/researchers-take-first-steps-creating-synthetic-human-genomes
BBC Science in Action interview (starts at 17:00):
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct6yfh
Feature article in The Debrief on Care-full Synthesis:
https://thedebrief.org/controversial-synthetic-human-genome-project-spurs-debate-over-ethics-of-building-human-dna-from-scratch/