How to Grow (Almost) Anything: The Use and Future of Synthetic Biology

Synthetic Biology is an emerging field of research where researchers construct new biological systems and redesign existing biological systems. Synthetic biology can change the genetic material in viruses, bacteria, yeasts, plants, or animals to give them useful new characteristics. For example, integrating spider DNA makes a silkworm produce super strong, ultra-lightweight silk (per the Government Accountability Office).

The technology could help address challenges in areas such as medicine, agriculture, manufacturing, and the environment.

Dr. David Sun Kong empowers diverse communities through biotech, and this means asking broad, vital questions. How do we design a future in which biotech, and science in general, is accessible to everyone? How do we demolish artificial divisions between culture and engineering, science and art? How can we involve underrepresented people in cutting-edge STEM fields?

Biotech is arguably the major science of the 21st century. But to expedite its arrival, Kong argues, we need new models of knowledge production—diverse, distributed groups doing vital work away from traditional labs—much like the homebrew computing groups that gave way to Apple. It’s all about getting communities engaged now, while the tech is still being shaped. But that also means the movement hinges on accessibility: of tools, spaces, and infrastructure. Kong champions grassroots labs away from college, federal, and corporate structures, designed specifically to be available, and appealing, to people who might never encounter biotechnology. He’s the co-founder and managing faculty of “How to Grow (Almost) Anything,” an MIT course on synthetic biology that reaches labs in places like Switzerland, Latin America, and Japan, yet still demonstrates how to perform fruitful genomic experiments.

David is a synthetic biologist, bio designer, community organizer, musician, and photographer based in Lexington, Massachusetts. He is the Director of the MIT Media Lab's Community Biotechnology Initiative. His research explores the multidisciplinary domains of synthetic biology, biological design and art, collective intelligence and movement building, and STEAM learning.

David conducted his graduate studies at MIT’s Media Lab, receiving a Master's degree for developing technology for printing nanostructures with energetic beams and a Ph.D. for demonstrating the first gene synthesis in a microfluidic (“lab-on-a-chip”) system. He was recognized as an emerging leader in synthetic biology as a "LEAP" fellow, served as a guest faculty member at the Marine Biology Lab. He founded and chaired new Microfluidic and Hardware Tracks for the International Genetically Engineered Machines Competition (iGEM) and is the official iGEM DJ. He was Technical Staff in the Bioengineering Systems & Technologies group at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory and a founding member of the synthetic biology team.

David’s work has been covered via outlets such as The Washington Post, Science, Showtime, the Boston Globe, NEO.Life, NPR Boston, Gizmodo, STAT News, Chronicle, and WBZ News. He has performed as a DJ, beat-boxer, vocalist, and rapper at hundreds of venues, including South by Southwest, the Staples Center in Los Angeles, and Brooklyn Bowl, where he opened for The Tonight Show bandleader and hip-hop legend Questlove. He teamed up with DJ Jazzy Jeff to make beats from the human microbiome. He is also an award-winning vocal arranger and producer. His photography has been exhibited at the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian, the Japanese American National Museum, and other museums and galleries across the country.

This lecture will be recorded and ready to view for those with an ISU Net ID on the Available Recordings page approximately 24-36 hours after the conclusion of the event.