Skip to Content
Uncategorized

Synthetic Bio Debate

June 30, 2006

Those interested in truly understanding the potential bioterror dangers of the emerging field of synthetic biology should make sure they read and keep updated on the discussion surrounding the Declaration of the Second International Meeting on Synthetic Biology. In this statement, which resulted from a conference attended by some 300 researchers, lawyers, and government policy types, experts in synthetic biology spelled out realistic concerns and suggested ways to go forward.

Also worth tracking is the controversy in the synthetic biology community over a newspaper article in The Guardian that led off with the teaser: “DNA sequences from some of the most deadly pathogens known to man can be bought over the Internet, the Guardian has discovered.” A well-argued critique by Rob Carlson can be found at his website.

On Wednesday, Technologyreview.com will run a Q&A with Drew Endy, a biological engineer at MIT and leading proponent of synthetic biology, asking him about these debates and how to safely proceed with synthetic biology research.

Keep Reading

Most Popular

DeepMind’s cofounder: Generative AI is just a phase. What’s next is interactive AI.

“This is a profound moment in the history of technology,” says Mustafa Suleyman.

What to know about this autumn’s covid vaccines

New variants will pose a challenge, but early signs suggest the shots will still boost antibody responses.

Human-plus-AI solutions mitigate security threats

With the right human oversight, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence can help keep business and customer data secure

Next slide, please: A brief history of the corporate presentation

From million-dollar slide shows to Steve Jobs’s introduction of the iPhone, a bit of show business never hurt plain old business.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.