Impacting future generations of synthetic biologists by ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion

Solving global problems relies on inspiring future scientists and engineers. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many of us, especially young people, suffered from illness, the loss of beloved family members and friends, and the resultant mental stresses, including depression, hopelessness, and feelings of isolation. Still, we remain optimistic because of our next generations and their amazing passion for research and education to solve global issues. Empirical evidence supports the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), which help generate innovative ideas and solutions to many pressing global issues, including climate change, pollution, food inequality, global health, and sustainable production. Our future generations will benefit significantly from initiatives to help drive DEI, not only as members of minority groups but also as a whole, from increased innovation arising from DEI. As educators and leaders, we must nurture our students, technicians, and postdoctoral researchers to generate a diverse pool of future leaders. We asked Tae Seok Moon (Engineering Biology Research Consortium, USA), Kevin Solomon (University of Delaware, USA), Irina Borodina (Technical University of Denmark), and Claudia Vickers (Eden Brew and Queensland University of Technology, Australia) for their perspectives on these topics.