UK Synthetic Biology Centres Tasked with Addressing Public Concerns

February 2, 2015

(The Guardian) – Champions of synthetic biology expect the field to radically restructure many existing industries and create significant new ones. The potential applications of synthetic biology span many sectors: from engineered plants in agriculture and synthetic biofuels in energy to synthetically designed natural fragrances in fine chemicals and rapid synthesis to speed up vaccine development in healthcare. However, there are also concerns over the ethical implications of scientific techniques – redesigning biological components and systems found in the natural world or making new ones from scratch – used in synthetic biology.