Managing the unimaginable

Abstract

The past few years have seen a growing academic and commercial interest in synthetic genomics and synthetic biology. We refer collectively to these technologies as synthetic life sciences. They involve several distinct engineering strategies drawn from the convergence of molecular genetics, chemistry, nanotechnology and electronic engineering. Synthetic genomics can be defined as the creation of either new or already existing individual genes, chromosomes and even whole genomes through the assembly of DNA molecules. Synthetic biology encompasses the design and construction of new biological parts, devices and systems—as well as the re‐design of existing, natural biological systems—for practical purposes (EC, 2005). It often uses the technologies and tools of synthetic genomics, but this is not a prerequisite. > …progress in science and technology often outpaces the relevant ethical, legal and moral discourse, and regulation… The considerable interest in the synthetic life sciences from scientists and the public alike is due to the enormous potential of these technologies for the development of pharmaceuticals, renewable fuel production, the detoxification of chemicals, the repair of defective genes in biomedicine, and environmental control. As beneficiaries of considerable support from both the public and private sectors, these technologies are advancing rapidly. However, progress in science and technology often outpaces the relevant ethical, legal and moral discourse and regulation, which can create suspicion and cause backlashes from the public. To avoid this situation in the synthetic life sciences, it is imperative that the ethical and regulatory issues surrounding synthetic genomics and synthetic biology are identified, analysed and addressed sooner rather than later. The potential of synthetic genomics was shown as early as 2002, when researchers at the State University of New York at Stony Brook (NY, USA) published the synthesis of the poliovirus in Science (Cello et al , 2002). In 2005, US scientists recreated the 1918 ‘Spanish Flu’ …