Integrated Cellular Systems: Building Machines with Cells

Developing increasingly complex cellular systems will be a major challenge for the next decade and beyond, requiring knowledge from tissue engineering, synthetic biology, micro-fabrication and nanotechnology, systems biology, and developmental biology. In this session, speakers describe the current state-of-the-art in differentiating and organizing cell types to produce the components or building blocks of higher order systems, including combining multiple cell types to produce greater functionality. As these “biological machines” increase in capabilities, exhibit emergent behavior, and potentially reveal the ability for self-assembly, self-repair, and even self-replication, questions arise about the ethical implications of this work. This session discusses future technological prospects and ways to address these complex ethical questions.