Cambridge Synthetic Biology Meetup is a group for people interested in Synthetic Biology and open technologies: the DNA-based reprogramming and computational modelling of living systems and low-cost hardware for biological instrumentation.

It is supported by the Synthetic Biology Strategic Research Initiative but also advertises events organised by OpenPlant, various departments and the Biomakespace. Since starting back in 2014, membership has steadily grown and the group has just welcomed it's 500th member, E.J. McCarthy, a 1st Year PhD student in the Department of Engineering.

E.J. told us a little bit about why he joined the group. If you're interested in similar opportunities then please join us!

"I joined up because synthetic biology allows for extensive interdisciplinary collaboration and holds the potential to significantly impact the general populace over the next 15-20 years in a positive way. My hope is to play a role in fulfilling this promise and interact with individuals who feel the same way. "

Upcoming Meetups include:

Monday 20 Feb, 6pm. Cafe Synthetique: Biology as Technology

A fascinating story of human efforts to gain control of evolution and produce plant traits to order using X-rays, nuclear technologies and other industrial processes. Are we edging closer to evolution to order using genetic toold like CRISPR? Find out with Dr Helen Anne Curry (History and Philosophy of Science) and Dr Alison Bentley (NIAB).

Every Thursday, 7pm. Build a Biomakespace

Volunteer with an enthusiastic and interdisciplinary group to create a community laboratory for engineering with biology in Cambridge, based in the heart of the Biomedical Campus.

Saturday 11 Mar, 12pm, Science Makers: data wrangling

This monthly meetup at Cambridge Makespace usually builds lab and scientific equipment but this month we're focusing on the data - how do you deal with data from sensors or sensor networks and use it to make things happen? A great intro ahead of our Internet of Science Things meeting in April.