Paper short abstract:

The majority of laboratory work within synthetic biology has been directed towards single-celled organisms, namely bacteria and yeast. Recently efforts have been made to integrate plant scientists. What is synthetic biology doing to plants, and what are plants doing to synthetic biology?

Paper long abstract:

The mammalian and microbiological continue to dominate the life sciences, and - perhaps for that very reason - also the research of those dedicated to the latter, whether they be from historical, philosophical, or social science perspectives. Plants however offer a crucial alternative entry point into both the history of biology and biotechnology, and the use and management of biological resources today. I make the case for the distinctive contributions that plants can make to the history and philosophy of science (particularly with regard to experimentation) and the social study of science, through a case study: the emergence of plant synthetic biology. The distinctiveness of plants is causing interesting problems for the latter.

One of the most conspicuous aspects of the entry of plants into synthetic biology, is the introduction of a new iGEM track dedicated entirely to plant synbio, which will be launched in time for the 2016 jamboree. The iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) competition is an international student competition that has run annually since 2003. In preparation, plant synthetic biologists have defined a new standard for biological parts (commonly referred to as BioBricks), dubbed the Phytobrick. I give an overview of the work currently being undertaken in (UK) plant synthetic biology. Through laboratory observations, and a series of interviews with those responsible for creating the plant track, I analyse plant synbio broadly in terms of John Pickstone's 'ways of knowing'. More specifically, I pay particular attention to how biological engineering is being pursued in, through, and with plants.