Synthetic Biology Biosensors for Global Health Challenges

Synthetic biologists seek to design, build and modify organisms at the genetic level. One category of engineered organisms, or devices, sense changes in the environment and respond by producing a change in state, such as colour. Two such ‘biosensors’ are in development within the Flowers Consortium, and both are envisaged to address threats to human health in the Global South. Biosensors are at an early stage in development, meaning that there is scope to shape their future trajectories. Accordingly, researchers at King’s College London convened a one-day interdisciplinary workshop with 30 experts working insynthetic biology, regulation, global health, international development and the social sciences. The workshop’s purpose was to investigate the two biosensors and draw lessons for researchers and policy makers working in synthetic biology, especially when intervening in global health contexts. Part one of the report summarises the discussions of the day. This executive summary outlines the overarching analytic themes from the workshop, which can be found in part two.