Talking Synthetic Biology — Launch of Synthetic Biology Dialogue Report
Venter does it again — Landmark paper published by the J. Craig Venter Institute
Redesigning ribosomes — Nature paper by the Chin lab
4 August 2008
'Synthetic Biology: Social and ethical challenges', was published on 9 June and drew a considerable response in the press and other news media.
Written by Andrew Balmer and Paul Martin of the Institute for Science and Society, University of Nottingham, the report was commissioned by the Bioscience for Society Strategy Panel of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
The Today programme on BBC Radio 4 spoke to Network members Paul Freemont and Richard Kitney of Imperial College London about their current work, while Paul Martin highlighted three chief concerns from the report: the possibility of synthetic organisms escaping into the environment; bioterrorism; and philosophical issues related to 'playing God'.
In The Scotsman, Alistair Elfick of the University of Edinburgh commented that research is already very heavily regulated and pointed out: "If you wanted to do bioterrorism, you wouldn't go to the hassle of creating a new organism."
'Concerns over synthetic biology'
Today programme, BBC Radio 4, 9 June 2008
'Warning over dangers posed by creation of 'artificial life' '
The Scotsman, 10 June 2008
'Call for debate on the ethics of engineering new life forms'
Times Higher Education, 12 June 2008
