Relational Map of Plant Synthetic Biology in the UK

This Map is free and open to all. It comes out of the Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA)-funded Futuring Biological Commons project, where we ask a simple but foundational question: if innovation is shaped not just by who stakeholders are, but by how they relate—and how those relations evolve—what new forms of governance and responsibility emerge?

The Relational Map makes these dynamics visible. It’s not a fixed output, but an iterative practice, where mapping itself reshapes how we think about knowledge, responsibility, and futures.

What this first edition highlights:

Historical trajectories – from recombinant DNA debates to contemporary gene editing, with enduring societal concerns (especially around GMOs)

Expanding stakeholder networks – showing how relationships (and their ‘thickness’) shape influence and decision-making

Dynamic concerns – ethical, environmental, economic, and regulatory issues evolve alongside the science

A call for collective reflection – introducing a resources framework and inviting collaboration on key questions around past–future tensions, overlooked stakeholders, new alliances, and more inclusive engagement.