Ten Years of the Synthetic Biology Summer Course at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

The Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Summer Course on Synthetic Biology, established in 2013, has emerged as a premier platform for immersive education and research in this dynamic field. Rooted in CSHL’s rich legacy of biological discovery, the course offers a comprehensive exploration of synthetic biology’s fundamentals and applications. Led by a consortium of faculty from diverse institutions, the course structure seamlessly integrates practical laboratory sessions, exploratory research rotations, and enriching seminars by leaders in the field. Over the years, the curriculum has evolved to cover essential topics such as cell-free transcription-translation, DNA construction, computational modeling of gene circuits, engineered gene regulation, and CRISPR technologies. In this review, we describe the history, development, and structure of the course, and discuss how elements of the course might inform the development of other short courses in synthetic biology. We also demonstrate the course’s impact beyond the lab with a summary of alumni contributions to research, education, and entrepreneurship. Through these efforts, the CSHL Summer Course on Synthetic Biology remains at the forefront of shaping the next generation of synthetic biologists.