Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the policy paper entitled UK Science and Technology Framework, published on 6 March 2023, whether references in that paper to engineering biology include (a) gene therapy, (b) vaccine development and (c) other life sciences technologies.

DSIT’s definition of engineering biology is set out in the National Vision for Engineering Biology, published in December 2023. Engineering biology includes products or services whose development draws on the tools of synthetic biology. This would capture all gene therapies, and vaccine and life science technologies which are developed using these tools. Engineering biology also delivers applications in other sectors of the economy including agriculture and chemicals.