The undergraduate program in Synthetic Biology will be jointly offered by Western University’s Faculty of Science and Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.  The objective of the program is to provide students with a strong foundation in the discipline of synthetic biology and prepare them to enter either academia or industry. Synthetic biology is ultimately concerned with the creation of novel biological systems for use in medical, industrial and environmental applications.  Courses in both theoretical and practical application of synthetic biology principles provide graduates with the tools to solve problems in the biological sciences, and beyond, using synthetic biology approaches.

The program builds upon the same comprehensive biology core program as other BSc and BMSc modules offered through the Faculty of Science and Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, and contains two required third-year lab courses to give students basic training in Genetic, Biochemical and Bioinformatics techniques. As specific preparation for entering industry, the program requires an introduction to business and project management.  In addition, the new Synthetic Biology specific courses, Biochemistry 3392F/G and Biology 4998E, provide skills for developing proposals for innovative synthetic biology solutions to current biological problems, including pitching ideas to a variety of audiences, and executing them in a team-based laboratory environment.