Team:Virginia/Public Perception

As synthetic biology continues to advance, so do the field’s bioethical implications continue to grow. To maintain safe practices and to not lose public support, scientists must forever keep these pressing concerns in mind.

We interviewed three experts in biology, medicine and bioethics and explored topics in biosafety, ownership in synthetic biology, and the potential impacts of our minicell research. We interviewed Dr. John Arras, a member of the U.S. Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, Dr. Alison Criss, an expert in microbiology, immunology and cancer biology in the UVa School of Medicine;,and Dr. Michael Timko, the Director of the Human Biology Program at UVa. As a result of conducting these interviews, we developed a better understanding of institutional and national biosafety regulations, intellectual property and ownership, and how these issues relate to the minicell chassis. Our goal for this film was not only to reach out to the iGEM audience, but to also make these issues accessible to the public.

To learn more about how we maintained safe laboratory practices, please see our completed iGEM safety form below:

Team Virginia Safety