Our friends at the ETC Group recently released an informative report on the rapidly emerging field of synthetic biology. The potential for misuse of "SynBio" is great, yet oversight is nonexistent and media coverage is generally fawning. (For example, see the article in the latest issue of the Atlantic Monthly, subscription required.)

From the summary of "Extreme Genetic Engineering: An Introduction to Synthetic Biology":

Today, scientists aren't just mapping genomes and manipulating genes, they're building life from scratch - and they're doing it in the absence of societal debate and regulatory oversight. Dubbed "genetic engineering on steroids," the social, environmental and bio-weapons threats of synthetic biology surpass the possible dangers and abuses of biotech....

A clutch of entrepreneurial scientists... is setting up synthetic biology companies backed by government funding and venture capital....

Like biotech, the power to make synthetic life could be concentrated in the hands of major multinational firms....

Widespread debate on the social, economic and ethical implications of synbio must come first. Debate must not be limited to biosecurity (bioweapons/bioterrorism) and biosafety (worker safety and environment). The tools for synthesizing genes and genomes are widely accessible and advancing at break-neck pace. It is not adequate to regulate synthetic biology on the national level. Decisions must be considered in a global context, with broad participation from civil society and social movements.

The ETC Group highlights the impact that powerful emerging technologies are likely to have on the world's poor, especially in the "global south." As noted in a recent piece in Salon, "Quite simply, they put out great reports." Their work is important, and this report is no exception.

In addition to being a defunct citrus soda, ‘surge’ is also the latest kool-aid neocon pundits and politicians are serving the public in their push for sending more American troops to Iraq. But, ‘surge’ also aptly characterizes growing government efforts to expand DNA databases. USA Today reports that in addition to collecting DNA from persons convicted of serious felonies, the Justice Department is planning to take samples from those violating immigration laws, war on terror detainees, and others accused but not convicted of federal crimes.

This comes a few short days after lawmakers in South Carolina began considering a bill to create the nation’s most aggressive DNA collection program, which goes beyond California’s Proposition 69 and proposes taking genetic samples from ANYONE arrested in ANY crime. (Jaywalkers, beware!) These coordinated efforts by local, state, and federal governments to catalogue the public’s genetic make-up for law enforcement purposes is certainly troubling; anyone who values their civil rights and civil liberties should take note.

Arlen Spector

US Senator Arlen Spector, a Republican from Pennsylvania:

It is scandalous that eight years have passed since we have known about stem cell research and the potential to conquer all known maladies, and federal funds have not been available for the research.

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