Team:UGent/Ethics
From 2013.igem.org
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The first question that springs to mind when considering new technologies is about the still unknown, potentially harmful consequences. A synthetic organism may have negative effects on the environment or human beings. Such concerns fall under biosafety. Is it acceptable to create something which we don’t know the long-term consequences of? Apart from <b>biosafety</b>, synthetic biology raises also <b>biosecurity</b> concerns, as products of synthetic biology could potentially be used for acts of bioterrorism. | The first question that springs to mind when considering new technologies is about the still unknown, potentially harmful consequences. A synthetic organism may have negative effects on the environment or human beings. Such concerns fall under biosafety. Is it acceptable to create something which we don’t know the long-term consequences of? Apart from <b>biosafety</b>, synthetic biology raises also <b>biosecurity</b> concerns, as products of synthetic biology could potentially be used for acts of bioterrorism. | ||
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One of the goals of synthetic biology is the creation of new organisms with functions that are not found in nature. Also the creation of minimal organisms from the ground up is an application of synthetic biology. Is the creation of novel entities like microorganisms <b>creating life </b>or merely building a biological machine? Is creating life acceptable? Could this change our view on the concept of life or alter our relationship with other living creatures? | One of the goals of synthetic biology is the creation of new organisms with functions that are not found in nature. Also the creation of minimal organisms from the ground up is an application of synthetic biology. Is the creation of novel entities like microorganisms <b>creating life </b>or merely building a biological machine? Is creating life acceptable? Could this change our view on the concept of life or alter our relationship with other living creatures? | ||
Revision as of 07:30, 2 October 2013
Ethics in synthetic biology
It is not surprising that synthetic biology, the science which adapts and designs living organisms with myriad and undefined applications, has a broad ethical dimension. An ethical dimension … ethical questions … ethics … what on earth? Weren’t we talking exact science here?
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The first question that springs to mind when considering new technologies is about the still unknown, potentially harmful consequences. A synthetic organism may have negative effects on the environment or human beings. Such concerns fall under biosafety. Is it acceptable to create something which we don’t know the long-term consequences of? Apart from biosafety, synthetic biology raises also biosecurity concerns, as products of synthetic biology could potentially be used for acts of bioterrorism.
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One of the goals of synthetic biology is the creation of new organisms with functions that are not found in nature. Also the creation of minimal organisms from the ground up is an application of synthetic biology. Is the creation of novel entities like microorganisms creating life or merely building a biological machine? Is creating life acceptable? Could this change our view on the concept of life or alter our relationship with other living creatures?
Our viewpoint
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