The Regulatory System May Not Be Ready for Synthetic Organisms
By Susana Medeiros,
RegBlog
| 07. 15. 2015
Untitled Document
Scientists are working on synthetically designed microorganisms that may soon produce everything from the fuel in your gas tank to your Spandex. Distinct from genetically modified organisms, which are created by the transfer of small amounts of genetic material, synthetic biology allows scientists to assemble entirely new organisms that may be more efficient than those naturally occurring in nature.
Some of these organisms can even function as tiny factories to produce rare and expensive chemicals and compounds. For example, Exxon expects to spend over $600 million towards the development of synthetic algae that may serve as an alternative biofuel over the next decade. Synthetic organisms could even be designed specifically to be released into the environment and consume carbon dioxide, mollifying the effects of global warming.
However, despite its potential advantages, synthetic biology could also produce dangers that are not met by the nation’s current regulatory system, according to a recent article by law professors Gregory N. Mandel and Gary E. Marchant.
Synthetic biology is currently regulated based on its use, typically by the U.S. Environmental Protection...
Related Articles
By Tomoko Otake, The Japan Times | 04.09.2024
A decade ago, researcher Haruko Obokata caused a sensation when she published two papers in the journal Nature, in which she claimed that she had discovered a way to create stem cells easily using the so-called STAP method.
With STAP...
By Yelena Biberman and Jonathan D. Moreno, Bioethics Forum | 04.16.2024
A quiet biological revolution in warfare is underway. The genome is emerging as a new domain of conflict. The level of destruction that only nuclear weapons could previously achieve is fast becoming as accessible as a cyberattack.
Now for the...
By Eric Schmidt, TIME | 04.16.2024
Imagine a world where everything from plastics to concrete is produced from biomass. Personalized cell and gene therapies prevent pandemics and treat previously incurable genetic diseases. Meat is lab-grown; enhanced nutrient grains are climate-resistant. This is what the future could...
CGS is excited to announce the launch of a new anti-eugenics initiative that has been years in the making. Legacies of Eugenics in Science, Medicine, and Technology kicks off with a monthly essay series published at the Los Angeles Review of Books that will expose and contest the reemergence of eugenic ideas in contemporary health sciences, human biotechnology, public health, and medicine. Community and campus-based events featuring the authors are also being planned. The project is a collaboration among CGS...