China to have professional committee of synthetic biology

China is preparing to set up a professional committee of synthetic biology, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

The committee aims to push forward the basic research and application of the country's synthetic biology and explore its development direction as well as discipline construction.

The committee will have 49 members and invite 11 academicians to be consultants, according to the CAS.

It will run under the guidance of the Chinese Society of Biotechnology.

Synthetic biology, an interdisciplinary area that involves the application of engineering principles to biology, has a wide application in industry, medicine and environment monitoring.

China has been conducting synthetic biology research since 2008, according to the CAS.