Bagels & Biotech Convening #2
July 22, 2026 | 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM
The Keck Center
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
Synthetic cells are emerging as a platform for biomedical innovation as advances in engineering biology make it increasingly possible to design programmable cellular systems with lifelike functions. Recognizing both the promise and potential risks of this rapidly advancing field, the National Academies recently examined environmental, biosafety, and biosecurity considerations associated with synthetic cell research and development, highlighting priorities for responsible innovation and risk governance.
This Bagels & Biotech session will explore how breakthroughs in synthetic cell systems could transform biomedical and health applications, including therapeutics, diagnostics, regenerative medicine, and distributed biomanufacturing. It will also reflect on the translational infrastructure, governance models, and cross-sector partnerships needed to responsibly accelerate innovation in this area from discovery to real-world clinical impact.
About Bagels & Biotech
Advancements in biomedical and biotechnology research are occurring rapidly, raising complex questions about ethics, accountability, and responsible decision-making and highlighting the need for forums that connect emerging science with its broader societal, medical, and governance implications to promote thoughtful innovation. The quarterly Bagels & Biotech series at the National Academies brings together policy professionals, researchers, ethicists, industry leaders, representatives from patient, community, and civil society organizations, and others in the Washington DC region for in-depth group discussion of an emerging technology or biomedical policy issue and cross-sector dialogue on responsible innovation.