California has been a pioneer in several aspects of policy on new biotechnologies, most notably with the passage in 2004 of Proposition 71, which established the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and authorized to distribute and oversee $3 billion in public funds to support stem
cell research and build research facilities over ten years.
The CIRM has been closely watched by other states and
countries. It launched two experiments: the first an experiment in
biomedical investigation; the second in its politics and policy. Never
before
has a state so generously funded an emerging scientific field. And never
before
has a state been faced with regulating and overseeing a field that
combines
promising medical research with significant social risks.
Before that, the California Advisory Committee on Human Cloning issued a report that led to a state ban on reproductive cloning. In 2003, a state agency blocked the sale of genetically modified fish as pets. In 2006, the state legislature passed a law providing protections for women who may provide eggs for cloning-based stem cell research.
Playing God?by Steven T. Jones, San Francisco Bay GuardianApril 3rd, 2012SynBioWatch raises concerns about the risks posed by a planned new synthetic biology lab in Richmond.
Plan to merge labs for biofuel research criticizedby David Perlman, San Francisco ChronicleMarch 29th, 2012Synthetic biology research at a proposed facility in Richmond, California would be tied to unknown energy companies, poorly regulated, and expose employees to dangerous microbes. If successful, it would rob undeveloped nations of their croplands.
Bay Area may be at risk from synthetic biology research labsby Emily Smith Beitiks, San Jose Mercury NewsMarch 27th, 2012Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory recently announced a proposal to build a synthetic biology lab in Richmond, which should give us pause to consider exactly what risks this little-known field poses for the environment and human health.
SynBioWatch to Hold Public Discussion on Synthetic Biology Risksby Doug Pet, Biopolitical TimesMarch 16th, 2012A social and environmental justice coalition, SynbioWatch, will hold a public meeting to discuss the possible dangers associated with synthetic biology.
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