Responsible synthetic biology to address global challenges and build a better future for everyone.

New way to customize living materials for tissue engineering, drug delivery and 3D printing

Rice University researchers have revealed novel sequence-structure-property relationships for customizing engineered living materials (ELMs), enabling more precise control over their structure and how they respond to deformation forces like stretching or compression.

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Manuel Iburg is a postdoctoral researcher at Rice University and lead author on a study on protein-protein interactions in gas vesicles’ assembly process published in EMBO Journal

Major breakthrough for 'smart cell' design

Rice University bioengineers have developed a new construction kit for building custom sense-and-respond circuits in human cells.

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Are implantable, living pharmacies within reach?

Cell-based drug factories could produce therapies on demand inside patients.

Researchers pioneer noninvasive gene therapy for brain disorders

A new method developed by a research team led by Rice University’s Jerzy Szablowski offers hope for treating brain disorders through gene therapy

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RSBI Inaugural Retreat 2024

The inaugural RSBI Retreat brought together Rice’s vibrant synthetic biology community, with over 140 attendees creating a dynamic and scientifically charged atmosphere

Upcoming Events

March 28, 2025

SynBio Supergroup Seminar

The Synbio Supergroup seminar series arose out of an interest in fostering a connected synthetic biology community within Rice, and with the broader Houston community. A key component of that goal is a familiarity with each other's research projects, goals, and expertise. In furtherance of this effort, we hold a seminar on the last Friday of each month from 4-5 pm, with the location alternating between Keck Hall and the Biosciences Research Collaborative (BRC). We typically have two graduate student or postdoc presenters per seminar, although we occasionally have new faculty or other individuals with relevance to synthetic biology present. Food is provided at each seminar, along with a tab at Valhalla afterward.

June 23-26, 2025

2025 SEED

SEED is the leading technical event for synthetic biology — covering the field from its foundations to its commercial applications. Gain insight into next-generation development strategies from leaders in research and industry.

October 22-24, 2025

ELM Workshop

The Engineered Living Materials Workshop brings together academic, industry, and agency collaborators to discuss the promise and challenges of engineered living materials (ELMs). This developing class of material has additional or unique functionalities resulting from the inclusion of living cells on or within the material. These functionalities can include self-assembly, self-repair, and activity that can enable increased resilience, conversion of compounds, biomaterial production, drug manufacturing, energy generation or storage, and more. ELMs are expected to provide improved sustainability in material development, manufacturing, deployment, and use.

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Our Mission:
To catalyze collaborative research and its translation into technologies that benefit society.

RSBI Opportunities

Postdoc Fellowship Travel Awards Workshop Funds RSBI Membership

What is Synthetic Biology?

Synthetic biology is an interdisciplinary field of biology and engineering that encompasses working with DNA for the purpose of designing systems such as genes, biological pathways, or organisms to solve society's major problems and to understand basic biological principles.

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.title.tac { padding: 0; } Responsible synthetic biology to address global challenges and build a better future for everyone.