13: Synthetic Biology: Social and Ethical Implications
This seminar will review some of the main scientific and technological achievements in contemporary synthetic biology, including examples of genome re-engineering and synthesis and creating synthetic cells and protocells. The complex causal networks in synthetic life forms have many unpredictable “emergent” properties. A key challenge in synthetic biology is to manage this complexity and control desired emergent properties. Innovative solutions include a standardisation of the parts, components and chassis, genomic refactoring, directed evolution, high-throughput screening and an automated design of experiments. The emergent properties of synthetic life forms also have many ethical and social repercussions. Examples include that scientists are accused of playing God, attenuating or undermining the meaning and intrinsic value of all forms of life including humans, as well as appeals to apply contemporary methods of risk analysis and the precautionary principle.
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Ph.D. Mark BEDAU
Professor of Philosophy and Humanities, Reed College; Adjunct Professor of Systems Science, Portland State University, Portland
| 1985-1991 | Assistant Professor, Dartmouth College, Hanover |
| 1992-2000 | Associate Professor, Reed College, Portland |
| 2000-2002 | Visiting Professor of Zoology, University of Oklahoma, Norman |
| 2005 | Research Scientist in Electronic Engineering, Dublin City University, Dublin |
| 2009-2011 | Director of ISSP, University of Southern Denmark, Odense |
| since 2000 | Professor, Reed College, Portland |
Ph.D Jamie DAVIES
Professor of Experimental Anatomy, Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh
| 1986-1989 | PhD Student, University of Cambridge |
| 1989-1991 | Research Fellow, University of Southampton |
| 1991-1995 | Research Fellow, University of Manchester |
| 1995-2004 | Lecturer, University of Edinburgh |
| 2004-2007 | Reader, University of Edinburgh |
| since 2007 | Professor of Experimental Anatomy, University of Edinburgh |
