Abstract
Given the historical pattern of misuse of advances in the life sciences, the biosecurity implications of synthetic biology deserve close attention. This requires in the first instance a clear understanding of the differences between traditional biosafety concerns and potential biosecurity threats. After discussing the meaning attached to these terms, the paper moves on to analyse the biosecurity awareness of synthetic biologists in Europe in relation to several of the key events in the evolving biosecurity discourse. Following the analysis of interview results that reveal a low to medium level of biosecurity awareness on the part of European synthetic biologists, biosecurity governance mechanisms are evaluated that have been proposed up to now. These put either a heavy emphasis on self-governance by the synthetic biology community, or focus on technical solutions to address biosecurity risks. Expanding on these proposals the chapter outlines a new 5P-strategy for synthetic biology biosecurity governance which revolves around a set of measures being identified that could be brought to bear at the identified five policy intervention points.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
References
Australia Group (2006) List of Biological Agents for Export Control, July 2006, Available at: http://www.australiagroup.net/en/biologicalagents.html
Australia Group (2007) Australia Group Homepage, Available at: http://www.australiagroup.net
Balmer A and Martin P (2008) Synthetic Biology, Social and Ethical Challenges, An Independent Review Commissioned by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/organisation/policies/reviews/scientific_areas/0806_synthetic_biology.pdf
Bhutkar A (2005) Synthetic Biology: Navigating the Challenges Ahead, Journal of Biolaw and Business 8(2):9–29
Bügl H, Danner JP, Molinari RJ, Mulligan JT, Park H-O, Reichert B, Roth DA, Wagner R, Budowle B, Scripp R, Smith JAL, Steele SJ, Church G and Endy D (2007) DNA Synthesis and Biological Security, Nature Biotechnology 25(6):627–629
Carlson R (2003) The Pace and Proliferation of Biological Technologies, Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Biodefense Strategy, Practice, and Science 1(3):203–214
Choffnes ER, Lemon SM and Relman DA (2006) A Brave New World in the Life Sciences, The Breadth of Biological Threats is Much Broader than Commonly Thought and Will Continue to Expand, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 62(5):26–33
Church GM (2004) A Synthetic Biohazard Non-Proliferation Proposal, http://arep.med.harvard.edu/SBP/ChurchBiohazard04c.html
Conferees, SB2.0 (2006) Public Draft of the Declaration of the Second International Meeting on Synthetic Biology, http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/32982
Dando MR (1999) The Impact of the Development of Modern Biology and Medicine on theEvolution of Modern Biological Warfare Programmes in the Twentieth Century, Defense Analysis 15(1):51–65
European Commission (2005) Synthetic Biology: Applying Engineering to Biology, Report of a NEST High-Level Expert Group, European Commission, Brussels
de Vriend H (2006) Constructing Life, Early Social Reflections on the Emerging Field of SB, Den Haag, Rathenau Instituut, http://www.rathenau.nl/downloadfile.asp?ID=1101
ETC Group (2006) Synthetic Biology – Global Societal Review Urgent, Background document, 17 May, http://www.etcgroup.org/upload/publication/pdf_file/11
ETC Group (2007) Syns of Omission: Civil Society Organizations Respond to Report on Synthetic Biology Governance from the J. Craig Venter Institute and Alfred P. SloanFoundation, press release, 17 October, 2007,http://www.etcgroup.org/en/materials/publications.html?pubId=654
Garfinkel MS, Endy D, Epstein GL and Friedmann RM (2007) Synthetic Genomics: Options for Governance,http://www.jcvi.org/cms/fileadmin/site/research/projects/synthetic-genomics-report/synthetic-genomics-report.pdf
Implementation Support Unit (2008a) Biosafety and Biosecurity, UN document BWC/MSP/2008/MX/INF.1, Geneva,http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G08/618/92/PDF/G0861892.pdf?OpenElement
Implementation Support Unit (2008b) Oversight of Science, UN document BWC/MSP/2008/MX/INF.3, Geneva,http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G08/620/84/PDF/G0862084.pdf?OpenElement
Industry Association Synthetic Biology (2008) Report on the Workshop “Technical Solutions for Biosecurity in Synhtetic Biology”, http://www.ia-sb.eu
International Risk Governance Council (2008) Concept Note Synthetic Biology, Risks and Opportunities of an Emerging Field, Geneva, http://www.irgc.org/IMG/pdf/IRGC_ConceptNote_SyntheticBiology_Final_30April.pdf
Kelle A (2007) Synthetic Biology and Biosecurity Awareness in Europe, Vienna, IDC, http://www.synbiosafe.eu/uploads///pdf/Synbiosafe-BiosecurityawarenessinEuropeKelle.pdf
Maurer SM and Zoloth L (2007) Synthesising Biosecurity, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 63(6):16–18
Maurer SM, Lucas KV and Terrell S (2006) From Understanding to Action: Community-Based Options for Improving Safety and Security in Synthetic Biology, Berkeley: Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, Draft 1.1, 15 April
National Research Council (2004) Biotechnology Research in an Age of Terrorism, Committee on Research Standards and Practices to Prevent the Destructive Application of Biotechnology, Washington, D.C., The National Academies Press
National Research Council (2006) Globalization, Biosecurity, and the Future of the Life Sciences, Committee on Advances in Technology and the Prevention of Their Application to Next Generation Biowarfare Threats, Washington, D.C., The National Academies Press
NSABB (2006) Addressing Biosecurity Concerns Related to the Synthesis of Select Agents, Washington, D.C.,http://oba.od.nih.gov/biosecurity/pdf/FinalNSABBReportonSyntheticGenomics.pdf
O’Malley MA, Powell A, Davies JF and Calvert J (2008)Knowledge-making Distinctions in Synthetic Biology, BioEssays 30:57–65
Petro JB, Plasse TR and McNulty, JA (2003) Biotechnology: Impact on Biological Warfare and Biodefense, Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Biodefense Strategy, Practice, and Science 1(3):161–168
POST (Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology) (2008).Synthetic Biology, Postnote 298, London, http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/postpn298.pdf
Schmidt M (2008) Diffusion of synthetic biology: A challenge to biosafety, Systems and Synthetic Biology, DOI: 10.1007/s11693-008-9018-z
Schmidt M, Biller-Andorno N, Deplazes A, Ganguli-Mitra A, Kelle A and Torgersen H (2008) Background Document for the SYNBIOSAFE e-conference,http://www.synbiosafe.eu/uploads///pdf/SYNBIOSAFE-backgroundpaper2008.pdf
Selgelid MJ (2007) A Tale of Two Studies: Ethics, Bioterrorism and the Censorship of Science, Hastings Center Report 37,http://www.synbiosafe.eu/uploads///pdf/Tale20Two20Studies20Final20Printed.pdf
Serrano L (2007) Synthetic biology: Promises and challenges, Molecular Systems Biology 3:158
Steinbruner JD (2002) Protective Oversight of Biotechnology: A Discussion Paper, http://www.cissm.umd.edu/papers/files/biotechoversight.pdf
Steinbruner JD, Harris ED, Gallagher N and Okutani SM (2007) Controlling Dangerous Pathogens, A Prototype Protective Oversight System, College Park: University of Maryland, http://www.cissm.umd.edu/papers/files/pathogensprojectmonograph.pdf
SYNBIOSAFE (2008) Compilation of all SYNBIOSAFE e-conference contributions, http://www.synbiosafe.eu/uploads/pdf/Synbiosafe_e-conference_all_contributions.pdf
Tucker JB and Zilinskas RA (2006) The Promise and Perils of Synthetic Biology, New Atlantis (Washington, D.C.) 12:25–45
van Est R, de Vriend H and Walhout B (2007)Constructing Life, The World of Synthetic Biology, http://www.rathenau.nl/downloadfile.asp?ID=1331
World Health Organisation (2004) Laboratory Biosafety Manual, 3rd Edition, Geneva, http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/biosafety/WHO_CDS_CSR_LYO_2004_11/en/
World Health Organisation (2006) Biorisk Management, Laboratory Biosecurity Guidance, Geneva,http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/biosafety/WHO_CDS_EPR_2006_6.pdf
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2009 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Kelle, A. (2009). Security Issues Related to Synthetic Biology. In: Schmidt, M., Kelle, A., Ganguli-Mitra, A., Vriend, H. (eds) Synthetic Biology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2678-1_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2678-1_7
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-2677-4
Online ISBN: 978-90-481-2678-1
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)