Professor Susan Rosser, Professor of Synthetic Biology

Professor Susan Rosser leads the Engineered Genetic Control Systems for Advanced Therapeutics Engineering Biology Mission Hub, uniting expertise from the University of Edinburgh, University of Oxford, Imperial College London and the CRUK Scotland Institute to develop gene therapies for disease. This followed on from an initial 2014 BBSRC investment when Rosser was awarded over £13 million in funding through the SBfG programme to set up and direct the UK Centre for Mammalian Synthetic Biology, one of six Synthetic Biology Research Centres (SBRC), and £5.7 million to set up the Edinburgh Genome Foundry (EGF) at the University of Edinburgh. 

The SBRC focused on developing genetic tools for making the engineering of mammalian systems easier, providing academics and industry with the technology needed to enhance the use of synthetic biology in the development of pharmaceuticals, therapeutics, and other health applications. The SBRC has acted as a launchpad for spin-out companies, including ZYTHERA and Concinnity Genetics.

The Edinburgh Genome Foundry is an automated robotic platform for synthetic DNA assembly, cell engineering and phenotyping and has developed a world-renowned suite of software for the design and automation of genetic constructs. Together, the SBRC and EGF provided expertise to catapult Edinburgh as a cluster of Engineering Biology strength.

Professor Rosser has always been focused on engineering cells for new applications and, over the years, has explored how synthetic and engineering biology could be used to tackle key bioscience challenges, including: 

• how environmental contaminants could be eliminated using engineered plant and microbial systems
• a collaboration with Unilever to engineer yeast to produce plant-derived chemicals for use in laundry detergents 
• knowledge exchange via Flexible Talent Mobility Accounts to develop the skills of early career researchers and build relationships with industry
• characterisation and modification of a new RNA polymerase with great industrial potential to produce mRNA vaccines and therapeutics 

“I am incredibly grateful to UKRI for funding Edinburgh University’s UK Centre for Mammalian Synthetic Biology and the Edinburgh Genome Foundry. They enabled us to develop important genetic tools that are now being commercialised in new therapeutics. I am very excited by the potential of our new engineering biology hub for engineered genetic control systems for advanced therapeutics to make gene therapies more effective and safer for patients.”

Professor Susan Rosser