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Synthetic Biology Maps

A new interactive map shows a growing landscape of synthetic biology activity throughout the United States and Europe.

This map shows the locations (by zipcode) of companies, government laboratories, research institutions, and universities conducting synthetic biology research and policy centers examining issues surrounding synthetic biology.

The Rathenau Instituut, a unit of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), describes synthetic biology as the convergence of molecular biology, information technology and nanotechnology, leading to the systematic design of biological systems. The U.S. is considered the world leader in this emerging field of science. Some estimate that by 2015, a fifth of the chemical industry (worth $1.8 trillion) could be dependent on synthetic biology.

Mapping the Emerging Synthetic Biology Landscape