University expert on scientific governance, Dr Joy Zhang, has been appointed as a member of the Human Practices Committee of the International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition (iGEM).
Along with other Committee members, Dr Zhang, of the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, will provide guidance on judging criteria for the iGEM competition, and help to create resources to aid teams in developing responsible research.
Her appointment to the Human Practices Committee is based on her expertise on scientific governance and on Asian research culture. Her 2013 Working Paper, The Transnational Governance of Synthetic Biology: Scientific Uncertainty, Cross-Borderness and the ‘Art’ of Governance, has informed policy making at the Royal Society.
Launched by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2003, iGEM has grown to be the most influential worldwide synthetic biology competition. Given its emphasis on promoting cutting-edge innovation with real-world applications, many iGEM projects have been published as important scientific advances in journals such as Nature, Science and Cell.
The competition’s cultivation of an open-source and interdisciplinary community has been a strong force in shaping new research ethics among a new generation of scientists.