Edinburgh’s Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology (known as SynthSys) embraces a vibrant community of > 50 research groups and >200 researchers. Our research is broad and deep, addressing a diversity of scientific questions with wide ranging impacts for society, industry, the economy and our planet.

Synthetic and systems biology spans biology, chemistry, physics, informatics, social sciences, engineering, medicine and veterinary sciences. Our researchers explore fundamental biological questions about living cells and systems and apply these insights – often in collaboration with industry – to create innovations for many markets including industrial biotechnology (including bioremediation and biofuels), agriculture, the environment, and medicine and healthcare. In October 2015, we opened the UK Centre for Mammalian Synthetic Biology funded by the BBSRC/EPSRC/MRC as part of the UK Research Councils' Synthetic Biology for Growth programme. This Centre brings together our research in synthetic biology as applied to medicine and healthcare.