Objective Synthetic biology is becoming one of the hottest new fields of biology, with the potential to no less than revolutionize the way we do biotechnology today. By applying the toolbox of engineering disciplines to biology, a whole set of potential applications become possible ranging very widely across scientific and engineering disciplines. Some of the potential benefits of synthetic biology, such as the development of low-cost drugs or the production of chemicals and energy by engineered bacteria are enormous.There are, however, also potential and perceived risks due to deliberate or accidental damage. In order to ensure a vital and successful development of this new scientific field, it is absolutely necessary to gather information about these risks and to devise possible biosafety strategies to minimize them. Also, ethical issues of synthetic biology just start being explored, with hardly any ethicists specifically focusing on the area of synthetic biology. While few undertakings on safety and ethics have recently started in the US, there is a gap on a European level to investigate these aspects.Our project would be the first in Europe that focuses particularly on the safety and ethical concerns and tries to facilitate a socially acceptable development in all related fields. We will pursue our objectives by means of a fact-finding mission, contribution to the first European Conference on Synthetic Biology, an open e-forum and an international workshop. The foreseen impact of our project will be no less than to stimulate a European debate on these issues at an early stage.Past experiences, especially in the field of GM-crops, have shown the importance of an early bio-safety and ethics debate. The community recognized this need, but up to now discussions are fragmentary. Our project aims to stimulate a European debate in a proactive way. That way we will contribute to the European synthetic biology community, supplementing genuine biosafety and bioethics aspects. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriologynatural sciencesbiological sciencessynthetic biologyhumanitiesphilosophy, ethics and religionethicsethical principles Keywords biosafety biosecurity fact-finding proactive engagement risk perception social trust stimulating debate synthetic biology technology assessment workshop Programme(s) FP6-POLICIES - Policy support: Specific activities covering wider field of research under the Focusing and Integrating Community Research programme 2002-2006. Topic(s) NEST-2005-Path-SYN - Synthetic biology Call for proposal FP6-2005-NEST-PATH See other projects for this call Funding Scheme SSA - Specific Support Action Coordinator ORGANISATION FOR INTERNATIONAL DIALOGUE AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT EU contribution No data Address Abt-Karl-Gasse 19/21 VIENNA Austria See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Participants (3) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all AUSTRIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES Austria EU contribution No data Address Dr. Ignaz. Seipel Platz 2 VIENNA See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data ISTHMUS SARL France EU contribution No data Address 31 RUE SAINT AMAND PARIS See on map Total cost No data UNIVERSITÄT ZÜRICH Switzerland EU contribution No data Address Rämistrasse 71 ZÜRICH See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data