[Senior staff member and sociologist Nikolas] Rose’s team will train graduate students and staff to consider the social and ethical implications of their research. He says the centre will also work with government and industry to develop a suitable framework to regulate the products of synthetic biology, and to make intellectual-property claims.

SynBERC is a similar center based at the University of California, Berkeley. SynBERC’s Web site provides more information about the new and exciting field of synthetic biology.

HT: Bioethics.com.

The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) has started its next long-range planning process. The Institute wants to conduct a wide-ranging assessment of the state of the art in genomics and where the field should be going in the next several years. This will help NHGRI and others plan their research investments to further the contributions of genomics to improvements in human health and other areas of society.

The NHGRI’s planning process will involve a wide range of activities through which the research and medical communities, and the public, can provide their opinions and advice to the Institute. These activities will include on-line opportunities, workshops, and other forums yet to be decided, and will take place over the next 12 to 18 months. The final such activity will be a large meeting to review a final draft.

To begin the work, NHGRI has produced four white papers that address specific issues that have already been identified as needing broad input. These will be the first to use a novel feedback system on this Web site to allow unprecedented input into the planning process. The Institute has also identified a number of workshops that will be held over the next year. Finally, we are asking for advice as to other issues that the planning process should address and for other avenues that interested people could use to provide us their thoughts.