Mapping the Emergence of Synthetic Biology

Area of Science:

• Synthetic biology (SynBio)
• Scientometrics
• Scientific collaboration networks

Background:

• Emerging scientific fields require analysis to understand their development and structure.
• Synthetic biology is a rapidly growing interdisciplinary field with diverse research directions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the emergence and stabilization of synthetic biology (SynBio) using scientometric analysis.
• To identify the main research approaches and influential actors within SynBio.
• To explore the interplay between scientific and socio-economic dynamics in SynBio.

Main Methods:

• Scientometric analysis of SynBio publications from Thomson Reuters Web of Science.
• Analysis of publication trends, newcomer proportions, and collaboration network structures.
• Mapping of textual and citational networks to identify research clusters and influential scientists.

Main Results:

• SynBio has entered a stabilization phase since 2010, despite continued publication growth.
• Four distinct approaches were identified: biobrick engineering, genome engineering, protocell creation, and metabolic engineering.
• A core group of influential, primarily American scientists act as 'boundary spanners,' connecting academic and external socio-economic spheres.

Conclusions:

• Synthetic biology functions as an umbrella term, facilitating resource mobilization and application-oriented research.
• The field exhibits high heterogeneity, with significant intertwinement between epistemic and socio-economic dynamics.
• The role of boundary-spanning scientists is crucial for the field's advancement and integration with broader societal contexts.