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Synthetic Biology

In recent years, the scientific and technological advances that society has experienced

mirror those televised in sci-fi films- self -driving cars, genetic modification, human

-resembling robots, vaccine (or disease) manufacture, bionic arms. What society once deemed

impossible is now possible, through the efforts of various scientists and innovators that hope to

better humanity and further the field of science. Synthetic biology possesses this similar intent

of executing the impossible. By “combining biology with the principles of engineering to design

and build standardized, interchangeable biological DNA building blocks,” synthetic biologists,

in their own fashion, are able to modify genes and even create novel systems and organisms

(Lewen). The field of medicine, specifically, will experience exceptional progress with the

possible integration of synthetic biology. This incorporation of gene alteration and synthesis

raises important ethical questions, which must be considered in order to allow for the

advancements that are to come. Thus, synthetic biologists must proceed with caution so that

practice of their study remains within ethical guidelines. Ultimately, synthetic biology will play

a crucial role in advancing the field of medicine and improving humanity, however policy

makers need to apply regulations to ensure that synthetic biologists have benevolent intentions

and are operating according to ethical standards.

Synthetic biology gives scientists, technology specialists, and many other professionals

the opportunity to attempt, and possibly succeed, in executing the impossible. This field allows

for the alteration and production of the building blocks of the human genome- DNA. Synthetic

biologists are handed the opportunity to build an organism from its foundation, modifying any

gene that can be disadvantageous and dangerous to the organism or the many others that live in

coexistence. This technique, though advanced and rather complicated, is not entirely novel.
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Synthetic biology is a rapidly growing field with an active presence in the world of science.

The altering and “selection” of genes is an extension of ancient techniques of artificial selection

(Lewens). In “From bricolage to BioBricksTM: Synthetic Biology and rational design,” Tim

Lewens argues that “artificial organisms have been around for as long as intentional agents have

practiced artificial selection” (Lewens). Dairy cows are organisms, and yet, have been

genetically modified to satisfy the intentions of dairy farmers and increase milk yield (Lewens).

Essentially, synthetic biology mimics the traditional actions of artificial selection in a different

fashion. Lewens accurately surmises the intent of synthetic biologists being, “to design organic

objects using rational methods.” The hopes of medical professionals are to possibly utilize these

rational methods of synthetic biology to alleviate the stress of certain illnesses and prevent the

inheritance of life-threatening diseases. “Finally, synthetic cells enable efficient therapeutic

development, because they do not require the traditional cloning steps, and reactions could be

more easily automated (14). Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) enables transcription and

translation with crude cellular extracts instead of intact cells. In contrast to traditional cells,

CFPS and synthetic cells do not require life to be sustained, allowing for faster and less costly

reactions, with less byproducts and side processes (15).” Kira Sampson, Carlise Sorenson, and

Katarzyna P Adamala explain how the use of synthetic cells would allow for more efficient and

affordable treatment of patients. By explaining the mechanisms that allow the synthetic cell to

have faster and less costly reactions, the argument that synthetic cells and synthetic biology is

advantageous to the field of medicine and will enhance therapeutic treatments can be supported.

This is a main driving factor for the use of synthetic biology.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, most individuals were affected by the results of a

widespread illness, which impacted not only individual health, but various healthcare fields, the
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workforce, mental health, politics, education; society, as a whole, endured significant change

and witnessed lasting impacts of the pandemic. Synthetic biology and its promising

developments allow for control of such widespread disease. In the peak of the pandemic in

April 2020, Jim Collins explains how he and his team were utilizing artificial intelligence and

synthetic biology to combat antibiotic-resistant superbugs, which can lead to discovering new

mechanisms to assist humans in fighting off infections, specifically COVID-19.

For the COVID-19 pandemic, we're designing RNA sensors to detect the virus

and freeze-drying these along with the needed cellular machinery into the fabric

of a face mask, where the simple act of breathing, along with the water vapor

that comes with it, can activate the test. Thus, if a patient is infected with

SARS-CoV-2, the mask will produce a fluorescent signal that could be detected

by a simple, inexpensive handheld device. In one or two hours, a patient could

thus be diagnosed safely, remotely and accurately.

Collins explains that synthetic biology is helpful in the detection of infection, allowing for more

effective, active, and proper treatment. Such improvements are entirely feasible with synthetic

biology and provide infected individuals with the chance to be treated more efficiently, resulting

in a more successful recovery. These efforts will result in a swift attack of the virus which will

arguably prevent the further spread of infections and dangerous pandemics, such as COVID-19.

With the unity of synthetic biology and medicine, healthcare foresees a tremendous

improvement in efficient patient care and treatment. What if synthetic biology can simply

eliminate these infectious or inheritable illnesses? The potential of synthetic biology can be

better understood in the context of organism design. Synthetic biology allows for the

determination of characteristics and influences inheritance patterns in certain gene pools.

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CRISPR, Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, is a precise gene modifier

that permits the rewriting of the genetic code of the organism, which can be used for curing

life-threatening diseases (Synthego). CRISPR has essentially made DNA editing possible and

its real life application has opened doors to a variety of opportunities that can eliminate

“undesired” genes from being inherited. While it is possible that synthetic biology will be used

to more accurately detect and treat illness, it is just as feasible that synthetic biologists will be

able to entirely remove an “undesired” gene from the gene pool, preventing its inheritance to

future generations.

Synthetic biology’s utilization in medicine seems rather unquestionable, though, this

beneficial practice brings with it various ethical concerns. Many are worried about the dual

nature of synthetic biology. The dual-research of concern holds that synthetic biology can have

both advantages and disadvantages (Garrett). In Biology's Brave New World: The Promise and

Perils of the Synbio Revolution, Laurie Garrett elucidates this dual nature of synthetic biology

and presents the situation of when synthetic biology was harmful to society. Ron Fouchiera was

a scientist that altered H5N1, a virus that exclusively infected birds, in a way that made it

contractible by humans (Garrett). This case introduces the concerns of synthetic biology. If it is

possible to modify genes to make them beneficial to humanity, isn’t it possible to alter genes in

a way that is harmful to society? This argument against synthetic biology is built upon the fear

that this powerful technology can be placed in the hands of a scientist with malignant intent.

Just as scientists hope to advance and better humanity, there exist people who wish to do the

opposite. Another argument against synthetic biology for the reasons that it has religious

implications. Altering the genes of a human being attempts to “fix” what God constructed,

implying that what He saw as perfect is wrong and “unfit” for society. Many argue that the Lord
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made one the way in which He saw fit and their genetic mutation should not be amended. The

arguments against synthetic biology present valid and reasonable points, though, can be easily

refuted.

Synthetic biology should not be thought of as an opposition to morality or religious

beliefs. The ability to alter the genetic code of an individual and provide the individuals and

their parents with the freedom to choose their traits is a groundbreaking advancement. The

dual-research concern is valid in the sense that synthetic biology’s use in the medical field is

relatively new, meaning there is an absence of necessary regulations. To ensure that synthetic

biologists are practicing in accordance with ethical standards, ethicists and philosophical

professionals, along with medical practitioners, should be consulted to put into place various

rules and regulations. The presence of legislation will assist in verifying that synthetic biology

is being practiced with pure intent on behalf of the individual scientists and the science

community. Garret says, “...they should accept that the synthetic biology revolution is here to

stay, monitor it closely, and try to take appropriate actions to contain some of its obvious risks,

such as the accidental leaking or deliberate release of dangerous organisms.” Garrett presents

the possible solution to this issue being the political and legislative regulation of synthetic

biology. This development is one that cannot be stopped so rather than fighting to stop it,

professionals should aim to enforce regulations to control it and ensure its legality. In response

to the religious concern of essentially “playing God,” synthetic biology should be viewed as a

gift from God. In religion, it is mostly believed that God made his children for a specific reason.

Being that his children came from Him, their ideas derive from him as well. Synthetic biology

can be understood as the result of the Lord allowing his people their gift of intelligence to

develop a mechanism in which they can improve humanity. The efforts made by synthetic
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biology can be recognized as a service to humanity, rather than the fixing of individuals. As

people of society, living in coexistence with another, we have an innate responsibility to care for

eachother. The scientific advancement of synthetic biology is the chance to help our fellow

humans. This service is relieving the human stress of suffering from untreatable and unbeatable

genetic diseases.

In hopes of better understanding the debate of synthetic biology and its benefit to

society, I created a survey that asked the individual about their opinions and thoughts on the

topic. The first question of the survey read, “Have you heard of synthetic biology before this

survey?” 40.91% of participants answered “No,” another 40.91% of participants answered

“Yes,” and 22.73% of participants answered barely. The data for this response is shown in

Figure 1.1.

Figure 1.1

The second question asked the participants who answered yes, in which of the fields listed

would synthetic biology be most useful. The majority of participants, 42.11%, answered

medicine. This data is shown below in Figure 1.2. The survey analysis suggests that the
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majority of participants who have heard of synthetic biology agree that synthetic biology would

be most useful in the field of medicine. Since most participants feel this way about synthetic

biology, this could mean that many people in society want to see synthetic biology used in

medicine and thus, its utilization should be considered.

Figure 1.2

The third question consisted of two parts, one asked, “Do you feel that there are any ethical

concerns regarding synthetic biology in medicine?” To this question, 36.36% answered “No,”

another 36.36% answered “Yes.” This data suggests that not many individuals deem synthetic

biology as an ethical concern. This may result from differing religions, morals, values, and

backgrounds. Many argue that synthetic biology opposes and violates ethical standards,

however not everyone comes from the same background and holds the same beliefs. This data is

shown in Figure 1.3. The second part of this question allowed participants to list some ethical

concerns they felt would arise in the debate of utilizing synthetic biology in medicine. Many of

the responses can be surmised into the argument of playing God and “designing babies.” The

participants felt as though humans should not be “playing with God’s creations.” This is a valid
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ethical concern that people, who are in favor of synthetic biology, voice. The field of synbio and

the scientists who participate must find a way to avoid this thin line between science and

violation of ethics.

Figure 1.3

The last question of this survey allows participants to express their opinions, concerns, or

questions about synthetic biology. Many participants wanted to learn more about its purpose,

safety, and utilization in the field of medicine. This represents the people’s willingness to learn

about the scientific advancements their community is experiencing. Ultimately, the people of

society are curious about this topic and the future of implementing it in medicine. Even though

this topic raises ethical concerns, ethicists and scientists must work together to ensure the safety

and morality of synthetic biology. To add, the scientific community should emphasize teaching

society about the importance of synthetic biology and how it can be used in the future, allowing
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them to have sufficient knowledge to make informed decisions, when the time comes to use

synthetic biology for themselves.

The ability to control the expressed genes in an organism is a development that society is

not a stranger to. Artificial selection and symbiotic relationships mirror this urge to ensure the

inheritance of desired traits to subsequent generations. Synthetic biology is just one of many

scientific advancements that the scientific community will see in the future. The ethical

concerns that rise with this practice are practical, as seen in the survey, though, not capable of

halting this revolution. Advancing medicine with the help of synthetic biology is promising,

though, regulations must be ordered to ensure this practice is ethically and morally legitimate.
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Work Cited

Collins, Jim. “How We’re Using AI to Discover New Antibiotics.” Jim Collins: How We’re

Using AI to Discover New Antibiotics | TED Talk,

www.ted.com/talks/jim_collins_how_we_re_using_ai_to_discover_new_antibiotics/tran

script. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.

Garrett, Laurie. “Biology’s Brave New World: The Promise and Perils of the Synbio

Revolution.” Foreign Affairs, vol. 92, no. 6, 2013, pp. 28–46. JSTOR,

http://www.jstor.org/stable/23527010. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.

Sampson, Kira, et al. “Preparing for the Future of Precision Medicine: Synthetic Cell Drug

Regulation.” OUP Academic, Oxford University Press, 27 Jan. 2024,

academic.oup.com/synbio/article/9/1/ysae004/7591603?searchresult=1.

Tim Lewens, et al. “From Bricolage to BioBricksTM: Synthetic Biology and Rational Design.”

Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy

of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Pergamon, 6 July 2013,

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1369848613000794?via%3Dihub.