Calling all synthetic biologists, bioartists, biodesigners, amateur biotechnologists and biohackers. Science Gallery is seeking proposals for projects for our upcoming flagship exhibition GROW YOUR OWN…


GROW YOUR OWN… is a curated, open call exhibition tackling provocative questions raised by synthetic biology. Curated by Paul Freemont (Imperial College), Anthony Dunne (Royal College of Art), Cathal Garvey, Daisy Ginsberg, and Michael John Gorman (Science Gallery), GROW YOUR OWN… offers audiences a participative experience to explore the possibilities and potential implications of synthetic biology, through an exhibition, events and workshops.

Deadline for applications is midnight, Sunday May 26th, 2013. Full details and the online submission form can be found at: http://sciencegallery.com/growyourown

We are interested in works that offer a participative and interactive visitor experience for a broad age range of visitors, especially those aged 15-25. We seek projects that inform, intrigue, provoke dialogue and engage audiences about an unfamiliar, complex and far-reaching topic, move the public conversation about synthetic biology forward.

Tackling the sweeping discussion of synthetic biology that tends to focus on a biotech future of personalised medicine and cells that pump out fuel, GROW YOUR OWN… will explore the ambiguous issues raised by ‘designing’ biology too.

We are interested in receiving proposals on a wide variety of topics including:

  • Broad themes such as living versus non-living, human culture versus nature, design versus evolution, the intentional design of nature
  • Research areas in synthetic biology such as health, energy, environment, biocomputing, materials and agriculture or new/unusual themes that have not entered the debate yet
  • Current research and challenges within synthetic biology
  • The hype spectrum that swings from potential world saving utopia to global bio catastrophe
  • Different processes and approaches with synthetic biology research, such as understanding and modeling living things and their processes at a molecular level, modification of existing organisms such as bacteria, the building of synthetic organisms that can carry out specific actions, the construction of novel organisms from the bottom up
  • The potential impact of synthetic biology on everyday life, how it might look and feel
  • Social and ethical concerns of synthetic biology such as bioterror, biosecurity, the dual-use dilemma, questions around the creation of synthetic life, governance, intellectual property and ownership, bioerror and intentional environmental release
  • DIY biology
  • Participatory experiments and workshops


GROW YOUR OWN… will run at Science Gallery from October 2013 to January 2014.

The open call for projects closes at 12 midnight on May 26th 2013. Full details: http://sciencegallery.com/growyourown