Report Warns About Misuse of Synthetic Biology

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Mathematics (NASEM) have released a new report on how the misuse of synthetic biology could potentially expand the creation of new weapons. Although synthetic biology is being used to treat diseases, improve agricultural productivity, and remediate pollution by engineering and creating organisms, the report titled “Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology” warns about the malicious applications of synthetic biology that could become achievable in the near future. “In and of itself, synthetic biology is not harmful. The level of concern depends on the specific applications or capabilities that it may enable,” said Michael Imperiale, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Michigan and chair of the committee that conducted the study. “The U.S. government should pay close attention to this rapidly progressing field, just as it did to advances in chemistry and physics during the Cold War era.” The Department of Defense (DOD) commissioned this report to better prepare for the potential misuse of synthetic biology and develop a framework for evaluating security concerns related to advances in the field. The report concludes that “synthetic biology expands the possibilities for creating new weapons — including making existing bacteria and viruses more harmful — while decreasing the time required to engineer such organisms.” The report discusses ...
Source: Public Policy Reports - Category: Biology Authors: Source Type: news