The Monster and the polar bears: constructing the future knowledge landscape of synthetic biology to inform responsible innovation

This chapter explores the intersection between two related fields: synthetic biology and astrobiology. Pushing the engineering of life past traditional limits in molecular biology and expanding the envelope of life to forms never before extant, synthetic biologists are now beginning to design experimental ways of getting at what astrobiologists have long suspected: that the life known here on Earth is but a subset of vast combinatorial possibilities in the universe. The resonances between the future engineered possibilities of this world and speculations about possible biologies on habitable others are not merely happenstance. Indeed, there is a curious and compelling deeper history interlinking scientific speculation about new forms of life elsewhere in the universe with visions for the human-directed engineering of new forms of life on Earth. For decades, the astrobiological and the synthetic biological have mutually inspired each other and overlapped in powerful genealogical ways.

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Embedding responsible innovation within synthetic biology research and innovation: insights from a UK multi-disciplinary research centre

Journal of Responsible Innovation ◽

10.1080/23299460.2020.1785678 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 384-409 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Mario Pansera ◽

Richard Owen ◽

Darian Meacham ◽

Vivienne Kuh

Keyword(s):

Synthetic Biology ◽

Responsible Innovation ◽

Research Centre ◽

Research And Innovation ◽

Biology Research

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Responsible innovation in synthetic biology in response to COVID-19: the role of data positionality

Ethics and Information Technology ◽

10.1007/s10676-020-09565-9 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Koen Bruynseels

Keyword(s):

Synthetic Biology ◽

Innovation Process ◽

Data Access ◽

Positional Information ◽

Biological Data ◽

Point Of View ◽

Responsible Innovation ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Data Accessibility ◽

Economic Point

Abstract Synthetic biology, as an engineering approach to biological systems, has the potential to disruptively innovate the development of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. Data accessibility and differences in data-usage capabilities are important factors in shaping this innovation landscape. In this paper, the data that underpin synthetic biology responses to the COVID-19 pandemic are analyzed as positional information goods—goods whose value depends on exclusivity. The positionality of biological data impacts the ability to guide innovations toward societally preferred goals. From both an ethical and economic point of view, positionality can lead to suboptimal as well as beneficial situations. When aiming for responsible innovation (i.e. embedding societal deliberation in the innovation process), it is important to consider hurdles and facilitators in data access and use. Central governance and knowledge commons provide routes to mitigate the negative effects of data positionality.

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‘Will polar bears melt?’ A qualitative analysis of children’s questions about climate change

Public Understanding of Science ◽

10.1177/0963662520952999 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (8) ◽

pp. 868-880

Author(s):

Katharine Lee ◽

Julie Barnett

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Qualitative Analysis ◽

Science Fiction ◽

Thematic Analysis ◽

Future Generations ◽

Polar Bears ◽

Climate Zone ◽

The Future

Climate change poses a grave threat to future generations, yet relatively little research examines children’s understandings of the issue. This study examines the questions children ask about climate change – rather than their answers to adults’ questions – exploring whether their questions suggest they view climate change as psychologically proximal or distant. Children aged 10–12 from 14 UK schools took part in an online event, asking scientists questions in a ‘climate zone’. The questions were analysed using thematic analysis. The themes related to the nature and reality of climate change, its causes, impacts, and solutions. Participants seemed most exercised about the future impacts of and ways of ameliorating climate change, with some questions evoking science-fiction disaster imagery. The contents of participants’ questions elucidated the ways in which they position climate change as both a proximal and distant phenomenon.

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Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology: A New Epoch for Toxicology Research

Advances in Toxicology ◽

10.1155/2015/575403 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2015 ◽

pp. 1-14 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Mark T. Mc Auley ◽

Hyunok Choi ◽

Kathleen Mooney ◽

Emily Paul ◽

Veronica M. Miller

Keyword(s):

Systems Biology ◽

Synthetic Biology ◽

Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽

Personalised Medicine ◽

Adverse Birth Outcomes ◽

New Era ◽

Advantages And Disadvantages ◽

The Future ◽

Polycyclic Aromatic ◽

Innovative Techniques

Systems biology and synthetic biology are emerging disciplines which are becoming increasingly utilised in several areas of bioscience. Toxicology is beginning to benefit from systems biology and we suggest in the future that is will also benefit from synthetic biology. Thus, a new era is on the horizon. This review illustrates how a suite of innovative techniques and tools can be applied to understanding complex health and toxicology issues. We review limitations confronted by the traditional computational approaches to toxicology and epidemiology research, using polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their effects on adverse birth outcomes as an illustrative example. We introduce how systems toxicology (and their subdisciplines, genomic, proteomic, and metabolomic toxicology) will help to overcome such limitations. In particular, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of mathematical frameworks that computationally represent biological systems. Finally, we discuss the nascent discipline of synthetic biology and highlight relevant toxicological centred applications of this technique, including improvements in personalised medicine. We conclude this review by presenting a number of opportunities and challenges that could shape the future of these rapidly evolving disciplines.

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