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Journal of Science Policy & Governance | Volume 18, Issue 01 | March 24, 2021

Policy Memo: Invest in Canadian Synthetic Biology to Meet Commitments to Sustainable Development and Support Economic Recovery

Brendan Grue (1,2), Samir Hamadache (1,3), Dhanyasri Maddiboina (1,4), Benjamin Scott (1,5)
  1. SynBio Canada
  2. Dalhousie University, Faculty of Medicine, Halifax, NS, Canada
  3. Western University, Department of Biochemistry, London, ON, Canada
  4. McMaster University, Department of Chemical Engineering. Hamilton, ON, Canada
  5. Concordia University, Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Montreal, QC, Canada

All authors contributed equally.

Corresponding author: [email protected]​
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https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG180106
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Keywords: synthetic biology; Canada; sustainable development goals; clean technology; biotechnology
Executive Summary: Canadian post-COVID-19 economic recovery efforts have been framed around values aligned with Canada's commitments to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), primarily concerning environmental sustainability. The field of synthetic biology (synbio) offers many innovative ways to achieve these goals while growing the economy. Here, we discuss the opportunity for Canada to become a leader in clean technology applications of synbio. Investments in synthetic biology, which has traditionally been underfunded compared to other countries, will have beneficial impacts on the environment while driving Canada's post-pandemic economic recovery.

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Brendan Grue is currently a medical student at Dalhousie University. Prior to medical school he completed his PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Saint Mary’s University. His doctoral research focused on the development of a novel mineralized collagen scaffold for bone repair and regeneration. He has an active interest in scientific policy, communication, and knowledge translation.
 
Samir Hamadache has an Honors Bachelor of Science in Genetics & Biochemistry from Western University. As a biochemistry graduate student, his research at the intersection of synthetic biology and automation is aimed at developing new tools for agricultural biotechnology. In addition to being the Vice President of SynBio Canada, Samir is the Founder and President of Forest City SynBio, a startup that is building a Canadian centre of excellence for synthetic biology entrepreneurship and innovation.
 
Dhanyasri Maddiboina is a PhD student from McMaster University and her research is at the intersection of engineering and biology. She is investigating the use of bacteriophages (viruses that kill bacteria) for treating infections. Complementary to research, Dhanyasri is heavily involved in mentorship of undergraduate students and in training graduate students in science communication.
 
Benjamin Scott recently joined the Concordia University Genome Foundry as a Business Development & Partnerships Engagement Advisor. His post-doctoral and PhD research focused on engineering cellular signaling to develop biosensors for industrially relevant compounds, and to create cell-based therapies. He founded SynBio Canada to strengthen the national research community, to advocate for trainee needs, and highlight their accomplishments.
 
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge Pierre-Olivier Desmarchais, Avalyne Diotte, Mads Kaern, Jeff Kinder, Evan Larmand, and Rishan Vaitheeswaran for their comments on this publication.
DISCLAIMER: The findings and conclusions published herein are solely attributed to the author and not necessarily endorsed or adopted by the Journal of Science Policy and Governance. Articles are distributed in compliance with copyright and trademark agreements.

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