New Concentration now open in Synthetic Biology

Synthetic Biology is a rapidly growing interdisciplinary field focused on creating new biological molecules, devices, and systems, as well as repurposing existing ones for beneficial applications in gene therapies, sustainable materials, and food production. Grounded in principles of standardization, abstraction, and modularity, it applies the Design-Build-Test-Learn engineering cycle to address long-standing biological challenges. The field integrates knowledge across sectors such as natural sciences and technology, health, and social sciences, aligning closely with McGill’s strategic priorities in sustainable materials and technologies, biomedical advancement, biological system exploration, and the impact of digital-age technologies. The field is expected to experience exponential growth, with a projected socioeconomic impact of 3.6 trillion dollars annually by 2030–2040.

The new concentration within the existing M. Sc. Thesis Program in Biological and Biomedical Engineering: Synthetic Biology (BBME) ¾ will train students in this highly interdisciplinary field in topics ranging from engineering, computation, health, life sciences, biotechnology, plant sciences, to ethics. With expanding career opportunities in academia, industry, and government, the proposed program is of interest to a wide range of potential applicants and produce specialists, expanding their employability beyond the main BBME M.Sc. program. The new concentration is now open for Fall 2026 applicants.

For more info, visit BBME's website: https://www.mcgill.ca/bbme/programs/masters-program/concentration-synthetic-biology