Dr. Jan van der Meer begins by giving an introduction to synthetic biology. Through this introduction to synthetic biology, he explains that DNA and protein “parts” can be put together to form biological circuits in a manner analogous to making electrical circuits from transformers, capacitors, and the like. These circuits can be designed for many applications in health and agriculture etc. van der Meer concludes his talk by describing work from his lab to engineer biosensor bacteria that can measure toxic compounds in the environment. For example, a simple system of a bacterial cell, which glows in the presence of arsenic, can be used to test drinking water in Bangladesh for high levels of arsenic.