On Friday 24 September, TU Delft's iGEM team is organising a Philosophical Table in collaboration with KIVI. During this Philosophical Table which will be held from 16:00 to 17:30 we will organise a philosophical discussion with the theme SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY.

Synthetic biology is the engineering branch of biology. This relatively new field has gained tremendous momentum in recent years due to new technological developments. Among these technological developments, you can think of easier techniques to "read and write" DNA or the robotisation of laboratory work. The internationally Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) is a global competition in synthetic biology. Within this iGEM competition, student teams are challenged to solve a societal problem using synthetic biology.

This year, TU Delft's iGEM team is developing AptaVita: a test to detect micronutrients in patients' blood. As many as one in three people worldwide suffer from "hidden hunger". Hidden hunger means that a person is getting enough calories, but is deficient in one or more micronutrients, such as iron, vitamin D and vitamin B9. Hidden hunger can lead to several problems, such as growth deficiency and learning disabilities, which often have lifelong consequences. Predicting areas where micronutrient deficiencies may occur is very valuable, so that targeted actions can be taken to combat this hidden hunger. To make these tests available to everyone, TU Delft is working on a cheap, easy and accessible micronutrient detection test.

As also follows from our vitamin detection test, synthetic biology can mean a lot in solving societal problems. However, there are also ethical issues associated with it. As synthetic biology is still a young field, promises and risks are still uncertain. It is therefore important to discuss possible implications of these new techniques. We hope to welcome you all at our online Philosophical Table on Friday 24 September at 16:00 to contribute to this discussion!

Be sure to watch the YouTube video of AptaVita below for some background information: