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About

What is AUNAB?


Aarhus University Network for Artificial Biology (AUNAB) is an Interdisciplinary Research Network (IRN) funded by Faculty of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University (AU-Nat), and runs for three years 2025-2027. The purpose of the network is to:

  1. Promote the exchange and interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers from different departments at the faculty and possibly also other AU faculties.
  2. Increase the impact and visibility of the faculty's research activities, competencies and infrastructure, both nationally and internationally.
  3. Support the coordination and knowledge exchange with respect to academic and/or strategic initiatives.
  4. Provide an inviting and stimulating platform for young researchers and new faculty at AU.

Goals

The goals of AUNAB within the research topic of artificial biology are to:

  • Facilitate scientific collaboration on the interdisciplinary research of engineering life.
  • Help coordinate and promote interdisciplinary research within the field.
  • Engage in outreach and contribute to relevant strategic initiatives at AU-Nat.
  • Contribute to raising significant external funding, e.g. via establishment of consortia for larger calls and funding opportunities, where interdisciplinary and collaborative efforts are required.
  • Deliver on the integration and onboarding of newly recruited faculty and early career researchers across AU-Nat.
  • Empower early career researchers, e.g. through network initiatives.

Who can join?

AUNAB is open for researchers employed at AU (incl. PhD students), regardless of their department affiliation. External participants are also welcome if relevant for the network activities and approved by the steering committee.

Network activities


AUNAB will promote the Artificial Biology topic a Aarhus University by coordinating the following network activities:

  1. Symposia: The AUNAB network will start with a kick-off symposium in April 2025 with presentation from its members. AUNAB symposia will also be held in 2026 and 2027 to present interdisciplinary research topics that address central topics on the engineering of life with talks and poster presentations.
  2. Workshops: Workshops will be held on interdisciplinary topics to inspire reflection on the research area. We will discuss engineering of life in the history of science, in art and literature, the ethics of engineering life, and how life might have evolved on other planets.
  3. Research meetings: AUNAB will arrange research meetings to present current research projects of the members to inspire for synergy and collaboration.
  4. Conferences: AUNAB will fundraise for the Artificial Biology (ArtBio) international conference, which will be held in Aug 2026. The ArtBio conference has been organized previously in Aug 2022 and 2024 by members of the steering committee with approximately 100 attendees each time. We may engage in supporting other relevant conferences as well.
  5. Outreach: Outreach activity at Forskningens Døgn will be arranged for all three years to engage with high school students and the public.
  6. iGEM student team: To engage university students, we will strongly consider to organize participation in the international student competition on synthetic biology (iGEM) in 2026 by recruiting students, facilitating funding applications, mentoring research, and supporting participation in the iGEM grand jamboree.
  7. Grant applications: Grant applications for larger calls and funding opportunities will be coordinated in AUNAB. The AUNAB network will have its focus on creating an inspiring research environment for early career researchers and empowering newly recruited faculty by facilitating collaborations and involvement in larger grant applications.