Definition Of Synthetic Biology Research Articles

Policy Challenges and Ethical Issues with the Breakthrough Technology: The Case of Synthetic Biology

Synthetic biology is an exciting field which has enormous potentials for solving various problems human beings are facing up such as genetic disease, food shortage and global warming. Many countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom and China have invested heavily in this field but the negative aspect of such scientific breakthrough draws little attention. Since the harms synthetic biology can cause is not certain, it is neither safe nor proper to leave it to the hands of only experts. Currently researches on synthetic biology are being conducted without proper public discourse and consideration. One of the reasons for the lack of public discussion on synthetic biology is the speed of the development in the field. The field is innovating so fast that people have little chance to digest the consequence of such advances. Also the confusion on the definition of synthetic biology contributes to the lack of proper public discussion on the issue.This article provides a new typology for definition of synthetic biology conceptualised by the authors and analyses the current state of synthetic biology in major countries. In addition, ethical issues associated with synthetic biology are discussed. Scientific transparency and participatory process are suggested as policy options to deal with them.

The role of social scientists in synthetic biology

Social scientists can adopt many different roles and responsibilities when they study scientific research: they can be advocates, intermediaries, translators, connoisseurs, critics, activists or reformers. They can reflect on the implications of a finished piece of research, or become involved at a much earlier stage. In newly emerging areas of scientific endeavour, we are seeing novel arrangements forming between natural and social scientists, whereby social scientists are becoming a required component of research programmes and are even involved in the creation of new fields. Here, we explore these developments and examine the various possible roles that social scientists may play in debates about new technologies using the example of synthetic biology. > Although there is no consensus on the definition of synthetic biology, there is a widespread conviction that it has important ethical, legal and social implications… Synthetic biology is a ‘field in the making’ that combines the expertise and knowledge of biologists and engineers. It is accompanied by both high expectations and considerable uncertainty; there are debates about its definition, its potential applications, safety considerations and how it should be institutionalized. In common with other emerging areas of technology and science, synthetic biology covers a broad and disparate set of research activities, and there is, as yet, no consensus on how the field should be defined; although the most common definitions emphasize both the building of new biological entities and the improvement of existing ones. A group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT; Cambridge, MA, USA), for example, defines synthetic biology as “the design and construction of new biological parts, devices, and systems and the re‐design of existing, natural biological systems for useful purposes” (www.syntheticbiology.org). In practice, many different activities are pursued under the heading of synthetic biology (O'Malley et al , 2008), including the construction of interchangeable biological …