The Promise and Perils of Synthetic Biology

The Promise and Perils of Synthetic Biology

This article assesses the potential innovations and risks that will result from advances in synthetic biologic and genetic engineering.

2006

Synthetic genomics technology will make it possible to construct any existing virus for which the DNA sequence is known, and the cost of doing this will drop significantly. Engineered microorganisms are self-replicating and capable of evolution, so they may evolve in unintended ways. There are 3 primary concerns. First, synthetic organisms have the potential to escape the laboratory setting and cause damage to public health or the environment. Second, a synthetic organism may have unintended side effects. Third, a terrorist organization or rogue state may exploit synthetic biology for malicious purposes.