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Engineering Biology in Cambridge

 
Fluorescence microscopy image of marchantia plant tissue with the cell membranes outlined in cyan on a black background. The cells look like a warped honeycomb and the central cells have organelles inside, highlighted in red.

Image credit: Fernan Federici (2013) CC-BY-NC-SA

Engineering biology is the application of rigorous engineering principles to the design of biological systems.” Royal Academy of Engineering ‘Engineering Biology: A Priority for Growth

Engineering Biology research at the University of Cambridge spans a wide range of subjects and applications, from developing new synthetic biology tools to exploring the ethical implications of genetic engineering. Much of the research carried out by our members is foundational and focused on developing enabling technologies and applying them to basic bioscience research. The university is also an internationally recognised leader in the areas of plant synthetic biology, development of open tools and technologies, capacity building and global collaborations.

Building with Biology

 

Development and application of synthetic, molecular and cell biology tools to advance bioscience research and address societal challenges.

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Biological Instrumentation and Tools

Hardware and software tools to assist biological research and enable reproduction and scalability of engineering biology solutions.

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Open and Impactful Research

Understanding the ethical impact and responsibilities of using synthetic and engineering biology tools and how the field intersects with wider society.

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