Synthetic Biology: What does the public think?

On May 20th of this year, researchers at the J.C. Venter Institute announced the creation of a bacterial cell controlled by a synthesized genome, a significant milestone in the emerging field of synthetic biology. Did anyone in the public listen? If so, what are people thinking about synthetic biology, its applications (to vaccines or food production, for instance), and the role of government in the oversight of the field. We also revisit a favorite question: “Has anybody heard of nanotechnology?”

For the fifth year in a row, Peter D. Hart Research, in collaboration with the Science and Technology Innovation Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, conducted a representative national telephone survey to gauge public awareness of, and attitudes towards, emerging science and technologies.

Join us on Thursday, September 9, 2010, at 12:30 p.m. for the results from the latest poll.

Media planning to cover the event should contact Todd Kuiken at or at Todd.Kuiken@wilsoncenter.org

Download the report here