Have you heard of synthetic biology? It’s revolutionizing the field of biotechnology, yet many people aren’t sure what synthetic biology is all about, or what synthetic biologists even do. Douglas Densmore, a synthetic biologist and Boston University College of Engineering associate professor of computer and electrical engineering, wants to change that by engaging future scientists—namely high school students.
The US Department of Defense is also totally on board with that idea. It has awarded a $2.3 million, three-year grant to Densmore and collaborators at BU, who will use the funds to run outreach programs that provide underserved high school students with access to pioneering biotechnology companies and a crash course in all things synthetic biology.
