Lee Marilyn S, Lux Matthew W, DeCoste Jared B
US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (CCDC CBC), Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21010, USA.
Synth Biol (Oxf). 2020 Jun 19;5(1):ysaa009. doi: 10.1093/synbio/ysaa009. eCollection 2020.
To maximize innovation in materials science and synthetic biology, it is critical to master interdisciplinary understanding and communication within an organization. Programming aimed at this juncture has the potential to bring members of the workforce together to frame new networks and spark collaboration. In this article, we recognize the potential synergy between materials and synthetic biology research and describe our approach to this challenge as a case study. A workforce development program was devised consisting of a lecture series, laboratory demonstrations and a hands-on laboratory competition to produce a bacterial cellulose material with the highest tensile strength. This program, combined with support for infrastructure and research, resulted in a significant return on investment with new externally funded synthetic biology for materials programs for our organization. The learning elements described here may be adapted by other institutions for a variety of settings and goals.
为了最大限度地推动材料科学和合成生物学领域的创新，在组织内部掌握跨学科的理解和交流至关重要。针对这一关键节点开展的培训项目有潜力将员工聚集在一起，构建新的网络并激发合作。在本文中，我们认识到材料研究与合成生物学研究之间潜在的协同作用，并将我们应对这一挑战的方法作为案例进行描述。我们设计了一个员工发展项目，包括一系列讲座、实验室演示以及一场实践实验室竞赛，目标是生产出具有最高拉伸强度的细菌纤维素材料。该项目，再加上对基础设施和研究的支持，为我们组织带来了显著的投资回报，吸引了新的外部资金用于材料方面的合成生物学项目。这里所描述的学习元素可供其他机构根据不同的环境和目标进行调整。
