Generative biology: new approaches to study developmental design principles
Posted by Sally Lowell, on 29 April 2025
A workshop to explore how synthetic biology can help us understand how embryos build themselves
20 – 21 October 2025, Brighton, UK. A Royal Society Theo Murphy meeting organised by Jake Cornwall-Scoones, Dirk Benzinger, and Sally Lowell.

As systems-level measurement of embryogenesis reaches maturity, developmental biologists are returning to foundational questions of how embryos build themselves. Synthetic biology has demonstrated how bottom-up explanations reveal design principles of biological transitions, and is increasingly looking towards embryos for inspiration, holistic contextualisation, and evolutionary interpretation. This meeting brings together these two disciplines towards a science of generative biology.
Speakers:
Philip Ball : David Brückner : Francesca Ceroni : Jamie Davies : Pulin Li : Mattias Malaguti : Yolanda Schaerli : Ricard Solé : Berna Sozen : Ben Steventon : Jared Toettcher : Vikas Trivedi : Berta Verd : Sara Wickström
Places available for short talks and posters.
https://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/science-events-and-lectures/2025/10/generative-biology