The use of synthetic biology in engineering biological systems has been rapidly expanding. the conference at EMBL Heidelberg from 17-20 March 2019 on “Synthetic Morphogenesis: From Gene Circuits to Tissue Architecture” highlighted this in the context of understanding growth and developmental morphogenesis. It brought together an unusual combination of researchers ranging from:
- in vitro reconstitution of cytoskeletal networks
- giant unilammelar vesicles (GUVs) for encapsulating proteins: towards synthetic cells
- rebuilding gradients of morphogens by engineering cells
- organoid models of tissue morphogenesis
- engineering blastulas and developing embryos predictively modify developmental outcomes