Bioethics Panel Finalizes Advice for Synthetic Biology

A presidential bioethics commission concluded this week that the U.S. government should not clamp down too hard on research on synthetic biology. But the commission struggled with what to do about amateur synthetic biologists who aren't covered by current regulations.

Formed in April, the 12-member Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues has spent 5 months on its first assignment: examining the benefits and concerns raised by the insertion of a synthetic genome into a bacterium by biologist J. Craig Venter, whose team then coaxed it to replicate using the new DNA. In July and September, the panel heard from various experts who discussed the science, moral implications, and safety concerns, including pleas for more oversight of so-called do-it-yourselfers.

The commission met yesterday and today in Atlanta to wrap up a report due on 15 December. Members emphasized the need to strike a balance between what they called "letting science rip" and the precautionary principle of not allowing any science to be done until all risks are understood. The panel has chosen "prudent vigilance." Explains co-chair James Wagner, president...