School of Social and Political Science

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School of Social and Political Science (SPS) academic Dr Robert Smith will lead a new £1.8m project from the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) as part of its Synthetic Plants Programme. The project will experiment with collaborative approaches to governance in plant synthetic biology and spark public discussion of this emerging field of science. 

The project is a collaboration between The Nuffield Council on Bioethics and The University of Edinburgh, along with research groups at The University of Sussex and The University of Exeter and public engagement organisations, including the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, the Natural History Museum and A Bigger Conversation. 

Led by Dr Angie Burnett, the ARIA programme aims to apply engineering approaches to biology to catalyse a new generation of major crops that can build resilient and sustainable agricultural systems. Working across start-ups and university labs, the teams will work to develop synthetic chromosomes and chloroplasts that are viable in a living plant, enabling us to surpass what can be accomplished with gene editing and equip plants with new functionalities, from reducing agricultural water use to protecting crop yields in uncertain conditions. 

Dr Robert Smith’s project is one of two funded by ARIA to examine the social, political and ethical dimensions of the technical work.

The team will explore the visions driving plant synthetic biology, and identify choices being made today that could shape the future we all live in. They will work to co-design governance frameworks for synthetic plant genomics with plant breeders, farmers and citizens to examine different priorities for enhanced plants, pathways to sustainability and approaches to diversify risk assessment. The project also aims to create an infrastructure for public discussion about synthetic biology in plants using documentary filmmaking, photography and biological art to prompt debate around the country. The findings from this project will provide the evidence needed to guide national and international policy.

Dr Smith, a Lecturer Science and Technology Studies at SPS, will lead the project from The University of Edinburgh. 

The Edinburgh team will focus on understanding the visions that the technical teams have for plant synthetic biology, as well as other stakeholders’ perspectives in this area. The team, which includes Joana Formosinho, will run workshops to develop interdisciplinary collaborations exploring the complexities of plant synthetic biology. At The University of Exeter, Professor Sarah Hartley will lead research on public engagement, and at The University of Sussex, Professor Adrian Ely will collaborate on understanding the social dimensions of synthetic biology and developing governance collaborations.

Dr Smith, who works in the Science, Technology and Innovation Studies subject area at SPS, said: “Our ability to engineer plants with synthetic biology continues to expand, and will be catalysed by this investment from ARIA. We know from past experience that the leaps will be unexpected, but we can prepare now to address the complexities they will raise. Who should benefit from plant synthetic biology? Which traits should be pursued, and which should we avoid? Can scientists build plants that enable a more sustainable future? Who should decide? I’m excited to be given the chance to develop a proactive approach with Angie, the other ARIA technical creators, policymakers, and members of the public to think about these questions from the outset.”

Read the announcement on the ARIA website.