Current Ethical Issues in Synthetic Biology: Where Should We Go from Here?

Newson, Ainsley J

doi:10.1080/08989621.2011.575035

Cited by 12 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Concerns with giving humans too much power or allowing people to "play god" are commonly associated with emerging technologies, such as synthetic biology, that involve the manipulation of genetic material (Dragojlovic andEinsiedel 2013a, NASEM 2017). Specific to synthetic biology, these concerns (along with other ethical and moral concerns) have been raised in both the public (Dragojlovic and Einsiedel 2013b, Hart Research Associates 2013, Vandermoere et al 2010) and academic realms (Dabrock 2009, Newson 2011. For our study, the range of answers researchers reported may reflect opportunities for recognition of the complexities of the issue, especially as potential ethical and moral areas of tension have been discussed within the scientific community (e.g., Cho and Relman 2010, Newson 2011, Torgersen and Hampel 2012.…”

Section: Views Of the Technologymentioning

confidence: 93%

The Values of Synthetic Biology: Researcher Views of Their Field and Participation in Public Engagement

Rose¹,

Howell²,

Scheufele³

et al. 2018

BioScience

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The synthetic biology research community will influence the future development of synthetic biology and its emergence into the sociopolitical and regulatory arenas. Because of this influence, we provide a first look at those involved in the research fieldtheir views regarding the field and interactions with the publicusing a unique sample of U.S.-based researchers who have published in the broad field of synthetic biology. Our data indicates a range of views of the moral and regulatory aspects of the science, based in part on various values and professional judgements, with differences emerging across synthetic biologists (e.g., bench scientists, computer scientists) and researchers focusing on ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI). Importantly, the researchers are engaged in public outreach activities, which could provide opportunities for public discourse on the sociopolitical aspects of synthetic biology. Implications of these findings for the future of the technology and upstream engagement emerge.

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Section: Views Of the Technologymentioning

confidence: 93%

The Values of Synthetic Biology: Researcher Views of Their Field and Participation in Public Engagement

Rose¹,

Howell²,

Scheufele³

et al. 2018

BioScience

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“…The latest developments in the biological sciences show that we are still sailing in uncharted waters and in particular the rise of synthetic biology presents us with what appear to be completely novel questions, while "we are moving from reading the genome to writing genomes" (Church, 2009). Ethical issues specific for synthetic biology are addressed by Newson in her contribution to this issue (Newson, 2011).…”

Section: Accountability In Sciencementioning

confidence: 98%

Editorial: Genetic and Genomic Research—Changing Patterns of Accountability

Lunshof

Chadwick

2011

Accountability in Research

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Debates about genomic science have raised questions about the implications for ethics and accountability. Accountability has external and internal aspects. Whereas ethical review, including attention to appropriate consent procedures, has been central to 'giving an account' externally, there are also issues internal to the practice of science itself. The pursuit of truth is central to the scientific endeavour, but truths can sometimes be 'inconvenient', leading to complex questions of accountability that go beyond the issues of consent. This is illustrated by the case of the Havasupai.

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“…To generate arguments for and against the featured applications, we compiled a list of ethical and societal issues associated with synthetic biology (Parens et al, 2009;Schmidt et al, 2009;Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, 2010;Newson, 2011;Rerimassie and Stemerding, 2014;Gregorowius and Deplazes-Zemp, 2016). Biosafety and biosecurity risks were only minimally represented.…”

Section: Generating Arguments: Technological Heaven or Conservative H...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Biobiased: A Speculative News App for Synthetic Biology

2021

Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Interfaces and Human Computer Interaction 2021 and 14th International Confe

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BioBiased is a mobile application that uses the format of fictive news to promote reflection over synthetic biology. The app introduces interested citizens to the benefits and risks of synthetic biology, the different application contexts in which synthetic biology might be deployed, and the different views and perspectives that may affect our responses to it. The work is motivated by an interest to exploit relevant HCI methods, namely design fiction and speculative design, to promote engagement with emerging technologies. Our work contributes a concrete digital artifact with a societally relevant purpose as well as a flexible framework to operationalize speculation in other emerging technologies too.

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Current Ethical Issues in Synthetic Biology: Where Should We Go from Here?

Cited by 12 publications

References 24 publications

The Values of Synthetic Biology: Researcher Views of Their Field and Participation in Public Engagement

The Values of Synthetic Biology: Researcher Views of Their Field and Participation in Public Engagement

Editorial: Genetic and Genomic Research—Changing Patterns of Accountability

Biobiased: A Speculative News App for Synthetic Biology

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