Dr. Margret Engelhard is mico-and molecular biologist, with a long expertise in interdisciplinary technology assessment research. She has researched at the Max Planck Institute for terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg and the University of Basel, where she did her phD. She has than worked for over ten years on technology assessment of synthetic biology. Since 9 years she is head of division of GMO-Regulation and Biosafety at the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN). The BfN is involved as federal authority in the risk assessment of genetically modified organisms on national and European level. She has published books and peer review papers in the area of risk assessment and interdisciplinary technology assessment of synthetic biology applications (see https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Margret-Engelhard). She is member of all Ad hoc technical Expert Groups on Synthetic Biology of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) of the United Nation and member of the German delegation at the last four Conferences of the Parties (COPs) of the CBD.

Selected publications relevant to synthetic biology:

• Eckerstorfer, M.F.; Dolezel, M.; Miklau, M.; Greiter, A.; Heissenberger, A.; Engelhard, M. Scanning the Horizon for Environmental Applications of Genetically Modified Viruses Reveals Challenges for Their Environmental Risk Assessment. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25, 1507. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25031507

• Lentzos F., Rybick E.P., Engelhard M., Paterson P., Sandholtz W.A., Reeves R.G. 2022. Eroding norms over release of self-spreading viruses. Science 7;375(6576):31-33.

• Simon S, Otto M, Engelhard M. 2018. Scan the horizon for unprecedented risks. Science. 2018 Nov 30;362(6418):1007-1008.

• Simon S, Otto M, Engelhard M. 2018 Synthetic gene drive: between continuity and novelty: Crucial differences between gene drive and genetically modified organisms require an adapted risk assessment for their use. EMBO Rep. May;19(5):e45760.

• Hagen, K., Engelhard, M., Toepfer G (Eds.). 2016. Ambivalences of Creating life. Societal and philosophical dimensions of synthetic biology. Springer-Verlag, Berlin (No 45 of the book series „Ethics of Science and Technology Assessment“)

• BfN conceptual paper about using non-contained genetically modified organisms (GMO), i.e., GMO in wild populations, for purposes of nature conservation (https://bit.ly/gen-engin-conserv; DOI 10.19217/pos222en).

• Informative report on “Synthetic Biology: Scan the horizon for impacts on biodiversity” (https://attachments.cbd.int/567962e74dc1af45194e3f51e4acc1ae/SyntheticBiology.pdf)