Synthetic Biology (eBook)

Contents 4
Contributors 6
1 Introduction 8
2 That Was the Synthetic Biology That Was 12
2.1 Introduction 12
2.2 Coining Synthetic Biology 14
2.3 Creating Life in the Test Tube 15
2.4 A Technology of the Living Substance 17
2.5 The Engineering of Experimental Evolution 19
2.6 Synthetic Biology and Genetic Engineering 20
2.7 Contemporary Synthetic Biology 22
References 27
3 An Introduction to Synthetic Biology 29
3.1 Introduction 29
3.2 What Is Synthetic Biology? 30
3.2.1 DNA Circuits 32
3.2.2 Synthetic Metabolic Pathways 35
3.2.3 Protocell 38
3.2.4 Genome Minimization 39
3.2.5 Unnatural Components 40
3.2.6 Synthetic Microbial Consortia 42
3.3 Further Developments 43
3.4 Conclusions 44
References 45
4 Computational Design in Synthetic Biology 55
References 67
5 The Ethics of Synthetic Biology: Outlining the Agenda 70
5.1 Introduction 71
5.2 Three Types of Ethical Issues Associated with Synthetic Biology 71
5.2.1 Method-related Questions: Artificial Life or Living Machines 72
5.2.1.1 Artificial Organisms 72
5.2.1.2 Living Machines 73
5.2.2 Application-related Questions 73
5.2.2.1 Release of Synthetic Organisms into the Environment for Bioremediation 74
5.2.2.2 Synthesis of Pathogenic Viruses or Microorganisms 74
5.2.2.3 Synthetic Biology in Mammalian Cells 75
5.2.3 Distribution-related Questions 75
5.2.3.1 Regulation of Intellectual Property 75
5.2.3.2 Global Divide 76
5.3 Addressing the Ethical Issues in Synthetic Biology 76
5.3.1 These Ethical Issues Have Been Discussed Before 77
5.3.2 The Role of Society in the Ethical Discussion 78
5.3.3 The Role of Synthetic Biologists in the Ethical Discussion 79
5.4 The Opinion of Synthetic Biologists on Ethical Issues Concerning Their Discipline 79
5.4.1 No Specific Ethical Issues Exist at the Moment 79
5.4.2 Ethical Issues Are Related to Safety and Security 80
5.4.3 Ethical Issues Are Related to the Application and Distribution of Synthetic Biology 80
5.4.4 Ethical Issues Are Created by the Public 80
5.4.5 The Debate in Synthetic Biology Can Be Compared to the GMO Debate 81
5.4.6 An Ethical Assessment Concomitant with the Development of Synthetic Biology Might Be Advisable 81
5.4.7 Summary of the Interviews 82
5.5 Conclusions 82
References 83
6 Do I Understand What I Can Create? 85
6.1 Introduction 86
6.1.1 Biosafety vs Biosecurity 86
6.1.2 The Different Flavors of Synthetic Biology 87
6.2 Biosafety Issues 89
6.2.1 Risk Assessment 90
6.2.1.1 DNA-based Biocircuits 90
6.2.1.2 Minimal Genome 93
6.2.1.3 Protocells 93
6.2.1.4 Chemical Synthetic Biology 94
6.2.2 Biosafety Engineering 95
6.2.2.1 DNA-based Biocircuits 96
6.2.2.2 Minimal Genome 97
6.2.2.3 Protocells 98
6.2.2.4 Chemical Synthetic Biology 98
6.2.3 Diffusion to Amateur Biologists 99
6.2.3.1 DNA-based Biocircuits 99
6.3 Conclusions 100
References 101
7 Security Issues Related to Synthetic Biology 105
7.1 Introduction 106
7.2 Risks, Safety and Security: Coming to Terms with Terminology 107
7.3 Biosecurity Awareness of Synthetic Biology Practitioners in Europe 109
7.3.1 The Fink Committee and Its Recommendations 109
7.3.2 The Lemon Relman Committee Report 110
7.3.3 Draft Declaration of the Second International Meeting on Synthetic Biology 111
7.3.4 CSIS-MIT-Venter Report on the Governance of Synthetic Genomics 112
7.3.5 The Work of the NSABB and Its Synthetic Biology Working Group 112
7.3.6 The Controlling Dangerous Pathogens Project at the University of Maryland 113
7.3.7 Summary of Interview Results 114
7.4 Biosecurity Governance Options for Synthetic Biology 114
7.4.1 Proposals for Biosecurity Governance 115
7.4.2 The 5P-strategy for Synthetic Biology Biosecurity Governance 118
7.5 Summary and Conclusions 120
References 121
8 The Intellectual Commons and Property in Synthetic Biology 124
8.1 Introduction: Owning and Sharing Synthetic Biology 124
8.2 Framework: Sharing, Ownership and the Anticommons 126
8.2.1 The Anticommons: Ambiguity in Sharing and Ownership 127
8.2.2 Public Sharing vs Private Ownership 130
8.2.2.1 Standard Advanced Industrial Country Position Exempting Research on 131
8.2.2.2 Standard Developing Country Position Exempting Research on and with 132
8.2.2.3 Belgium As Permissive Outlier Exempting Research on and with 132
8.2.2.4 United States As Restrictive Outlier with No Exemption 134
8.3 Outlook: Perspectives from Synthetic Biologists 137
8.4 Conclusions: The Future of Ownership and Sharing 140
References 142
9 Governing Synthetic Biology: Processes and Outcomes 144
9.1 Engineering New Life Science Disciplines 145
9.2 The Role of Regulation in Promoting and Inhibiting Innovation 146
9.3 Public and Stakeholder Pressures 147
9.3.1 Self-replicating Life Forms -- Bio-safety 148
9.3.2 Bio-security Risks 149
9.3.3 Intellectual Property, Trade and Global Justice 149
9.3.4 Ethical Issues Related to the Morality of Creating Novel Life Forms 151
9.4 Governance Issues: Comparing Synthetic Biology with Other Areas of Innovation 151
9.4.1 Nanotechnology 151
9.4.2 Genetically Modified Crops in Europe 153
9.4.3 Potential Challenges for the Effective Governance of Synthetic Biology 154
9.5 Enabling Innovative Developments in Synthetic Biology 154
References 156
10 Synthetic Biology and the Role of Civil Society Organizations 158
10.1 Introduction 159
10.2 Early Involvement of CSOs in the Synbio Debate 160
10.3 Shaping the Agenda of the Synbio Debate 163
10.4 Lessons from the Bio- and Nanotechnology Debates 165
10.5 Responses from CSOs to the Emerging Synbio Debate: A Survey 167
10.5.1 Awareness 167
10.5.1.1 Leaders and Followers 167
10.5.2 Diverging Views on Synthetic Biology 169
10.5.3 Framing the Issues 170
10.5.3.1 Growing Commercial Interest and Social Justice 171
10.5.3.2 New Risks 171
10.5.3.3 Technology Fix 172
10.5.3.4 Ethical Issues Not Well-defined Yet 172
10.5.4 The Role of CSOs and Other Parties 172
10.6 Conclusions 173
10.7 Appendix: List of organizations signing the open letter of May 2006 175
References 178
11 Summary and Conclusions 180
11.1 Introduction 180
11.2 Biosafety 181
11.3 Biosecurity 182
11.4 Ethics 184
11.5 Science-public Interface 185
References 186
Index 188