# Ten Years of the Synthetic Biology Summer Course at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

## TL;DR

This paper reviews a decade-long synthetic biology summer course at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, highlighting its educational impact and alumni contributions.

## Contribution

The paper provides a detailed analysis of the course's structure and evolution, offering insights for developing similar educational programs.

## Key findings

- The course integrates lab sessions, research rotations, and seminars to teach synthetic biology fundamentals.
- Alumni have made significant contributions to research, education, and entrepreneurship in the field.
- The curriculum has evolved to include topics like CRISPR and computational modeling of gene circuits.

## Abstract

The Cold Spring Harbor
Laboratory (CSHL) Summer Course on Synthetic
Biology, established in 2013, has emerged as a premier platform for
immersive education and research in this dynamic field. Rooted in
CSHL’s rich legacy of biological discovery, the course offers
a comprehensive exploration of synthetic biology’s fundamentals
and applications. Led by a consortium of faculty from diverse institutions,
the course structure seamlessly integrates practical laboratory sessions,
exploratory research rotations, and enriching seminars by leaders
in the field. Over the years, the curriculum has evolved to cover
essential topics such as cell-free transcription–translation,
DNA construction, computational modeling of gene circuits, engineered
gene regulation, and CRISPR technologies. In this review, we describe
the history, development, and structure of the course, and discuss
how elements of the course might inform the development of other short
courses in synthetic biology. We also demonstrate the course’s
impact beyond the lab with a summary of alumni contributions to research,
education, and entrepreneurship. Through these efforts, the CSHL Summer
Course on Synthetic Biology remains at the forefront of shaping the
next generation of synthetic biologists.