We at SynBioBeta watched with excitement as almost 200 countries met in Glasgow, Scotland, earlier this month for the United Nations Climate Change Summit (COP26). As leaders gathered to discuss taking urgent action to stop climate change and prevent global temperatures from rising above 1.5 degrees Celsius, even the casual observer could walk away encouraged by the growing awareness and global efforts to make meaningful changes. We know biology plays a crucial role in combating climate change, and many of the solutions presented at COP26 rely on synthetic biology. Even former President Barack Obama, during his speech at the summit, mentioned “breakthroughs in fields like synthetic biology” being an important part of building a more sustainable future. The end of COP26 (from a chronological standpoint) represents what we at SynBioBeta believe to be the beginning of the real work, as our community ushers in the tools and technologies that will lead the charge against climate change. To that end, we have partnered with Ginkgo Bioworks to stage our first annual Race Against the Clock event, wherein we will welcome over 500 students and start-ups, all using biology to make the planet a better place, into the bio-economy community. The Race Against the Clock welcome party will be held on the final day of our Global Synthetic Biology Conference (Jan. 25th - 27th, 2022 in Oakland, CA) and our afternoon program will highlight the game changing ways our community is using biology to address climate change and enact true sustainability. We can’t wait to see you in January and to celebrate how together we are using biology to bring the hope of COP26 to life!For more information on the SynBioBeta (live) Conference in January, please click here.