SynBio5: A note of caution - the risks of SynBio. (v1.0)

Synthetic Biology holds great potential and ushers in a world of promise, but also introduces a world of new risks, both deliberate and accidental. These risks need to be managed. 

When discoveries are made, it is easy to forget that allowing organisms to be much more easily engineered and altered can often also be applied to humans who are made up of the same set of 4 molecules in their DNA and share many other biological processes. So, every time you hear of better tomatoes being engineered, that same technology also applies to alter humans. In germline gene editing, making any genetic change to an organism can result in unintended consequences, including disease and deformities. These alterations are hereditable bringing up a host of social and ethical issues. There is also a major concern that genetically engineered humans (example super soldiers) may further divide our society. There are also ethical concerns by not acting - For example having the power to eliminate a horrible disease and not doing so. The ethical dilemmas of either action or no action will continue to be vigorously debated. 

The increasing speed and ease of use and reduced cost of SynBio is often as much a threat as a benefit. Ease is better for medical science for example, but malicious actors may use it to create bioweapons. A lot of third parties now handle the assembly of new genomes, etc. Also, AI significantly simplifies the design. So, scientists no longer need all the expensive equipment and expertise to assemble new novel genomes. The genomes of thousands of viruses including smallpox is publicly available. This reduces the threshold for a malevolent scientist to do mischief. Biology can also be inconspicuous. If a pathogen was released in one place, detective work can often pinpoint how it originated. However, if it is released simultaneously in many places, it becomes far more difficult and time consuming and possibly impossible. It may not be a pathogen that impacts humans but crops leading to mass starvation. Ot it could commit ecocide where large swaths of the natural world might be driven into extinction. Or it could impact the air we breathe or the water we drink. 

A gene drive is a process and technology of genetic engineering that propagates a particular suite of genes throughout a population by altering the probability that a specific allele will be transmitted to offspring (instead of the Mendelian 50% probability). Gene drives can arise through a variety of mechanisms. They have been proposed to provide an effective means of genetically modifying specific populations and entire species. In a 2020 report, the DHS said that an accidental or intentional release of a gene drive might harm a US citizen, food supply, vegetation, or wildlife. Humans reproduce slowly so gene drives will be less effective on us, but many other plants and animals reproduce quickly, and a gene drive could have huge impact. 

Synthetic or edited pathogens have potential to be more viral than the roots from which it was derived. Gain of function research on pathogens in many labs could result in a deadly pandemic that could infect the entire world, if intentionally or accidentally released. 

These are some of the risks I have highlighted.

But George Church takes a far sunnier view and focuses on the vast potential gains. A reviewer writes "In Regenesis, George Church and science writer Ed Regis explore the possibilities of the emerging field of synthetic biology in which living organisms are selectively altered by modifying substantial portions of their genomes, allows for the creation of entirely new species of organisms. These technologies-far from the out-of-control nightmare depicted in science fiction-have the power to improve human and animal health, increase our intelligence, enhance our memory, and even extend our life span. A breathtaking look at the potential of this world-changing technology, Regenesis is nothing less than a guide to the future of life."