Synthetic biology is a field that leverages design, biology, engineering, and computation to genetically engineer organisms to make usable products such as sustainably manufactured textiles, biodegradable chemicals, and personalized medicine. Despite increases in access, we know little about what younger learners know and think about these modern applications. This is problematic for reasons related to civic engagement and field participation. This research addresses this by examining a group (n = 66) of middle school youth (ages 11 to 14) in the United States (US). Analysis of survey and interview data suggests that, while students know very little about synthetic biology, they nevertheless have well-formed attitudes that involve considerations that are typically observed in older student groups. Findings also suggest that perspectives among this group were still forming and flexible. Opportunities to support student learning and literacy in this emerging field are discussed in terms of their geopolitical, sociocultural, and educational influences.

合成生物学是一个利用设计，生物学，工程学和计算技术对生物进行基因工程的领域，以生产有用的产品，例如可持续生产的纺织品，可生物降解的化学药品和个性化药物。尽管访问量有所增加，但我们对年轻的学习者所了解和思考的这些现代应用知之甚少。由于与公民参与和实地参与有关的原因，这是有问题的。本研究通过考察一个小组（n = 66）美国（US）的中学青年（11至14岁）。对调查和访谈数据的分析表明，尽管学生对合成生物学知之甚少，但他们仍具有良好的态度，其中涉及通常在年龄较大的学生群体中观察到的考虑因素。研究结果还表明，这一群体的观点仍在形成和灵活。从他们的地缘政治，社会文化和教育影响方面讨论了在这个新兴领域中支持学生学习和识字的机会。