My contribution illustrates how political and societal expectations shape and influence the formation of the emerging research field of Synthetic Biology, a new scientific field geared towards the intentional design of artificial biological systems, which do not exist as such in nature. It has the potential to alter existing forms of knowledge
production and their research organisation in related fields. Given its interdisciplinary character and unclear epistemic status, there is a particular need for legitimizing research which requires communicative strategies to scientific and non-scientific actors. How does this need for legitimization affect organizational and epistemic strategies, e.g.
publication practices? My assessment of documents from policy actors, science organisations and research publications in Germany, the Netherlands and the UK, reveals that conflicts between established disciplines and the new field are mediated by claims of utility and societal orientations, leading to specific publication strategies in this emerging research area.
