Recently many researchers are joining efforts to deconstruct and reconstruct complex developmental biological processes in vitro from stem cells. Especially when combined and building upon classical embryological tools and insights, such bottom-up approaches open up exciting new opportunities for studying and understanding the biological principles, which underlie the emergence of form and function during embryonic development in humans and other species. Our symposium will bring together leading national and international scientists in the field of synthetic developmental biology to discuss the latest advances in this rapidly growing field at the crossroads of developmental biology and stem cell research.